Times of change
by soulofhorror
Summary: (My first fanfic) Long ago, Hiccup's life was wonderful, but he grew up and everything fell apart. After his best friend turns on him, he seeks fellowship elsewhere. What will become of this boy in these Times of Change? (rated T for violence) 6/4/16-completed correcting by my beta.
1. Origins

**A.N. Hello everyone. This is my first fanfic so there might be a lot of mistakes, so I apoligize in advance. This is, as far as I've planned, not a Hiccstrid fanfic and therefore, will not flow like the movie. There will be key points from the story but this will not be like the movie. Also, I am not from a country that uses English as the mother tongue so there will be spelling and grammar mistakes. Please send reviews so I can improve this in the future.**

 **update 10/03/2016- MODdenial is now my beta-reader. i truly, truly thank him for helping out in my story.**

 **Disclaimer- I don't own anything.**

* * *

 _10 years ago..._

 **Hiccup's POV**

It was a cliff top near the edge of the forest, two five-year olds, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and Astrid Hofferson were sitting against a large boulder, hand-in-hand, smiling contently.

"Hey Asty?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure...?" Astrid said, confused and excited about what kind of secret Hiccup had to tell. He cupped his hands around his mouth and whispered:

"You're my best friend in the whole wide world." He finished with a toothy grin. Astrid smiled, though slightly disappointed.

"That's not really a secret, Hic. You tell me that all the time." She chuckled. "I actually have an idea, though. Do you have a charcoal stick?"Astrid asked getting up from the bolder. Hiccup's face contorted with doubt.

"Why do you need a charcoal stick? You only draw stick people. I..." A tiny fist came in contact with the boy's upper arm at that comment.

"Ow! Why would you do that?" Hiccup pouted.

Astrid took Hiccup's charcoal stick nonetheless and drew the first rune of her name, pushed Hiccup away, and draw the first rune of his name on his rock.

"See? I told you I had an idea." Astrid gloated.

"I have a better idea. Come on! Catch me if you can!" Hiccup said while running towards the village.

"Hey, come back here! I'm going to tickle you to death when I catch you!" Astrid yelled behind Hiccup running off after him.

After few hours of chasing/trying to find Hiccup, Astrid came to the cliff top, quite mad at him for making her run around so much. When she got there, Hiccup was already there carving or trying to carve something on his rock.

"I told you, when I get my hands on you..." Astrid started, but was soon cut off by Hiccup's grinning face and a wide wave.

"Hey Asty, come here and look!"

Astrid then came around the boulder and saw that Hiccup was trying to carve the rune Astrid had written this morning. She was blown out of her mind but she acted it was not a big deal.

"Not bad, but you were still copying what I did."

"No way, this is totally different. You see, this is me and that is you. Now we get to see sunrises forever. I told you that my idea was better." Hiccup finished, sticking his tongue out.

"All right, it's pretty cool." She had no idea how much her friendship meant for him, other than Fishlegs Ingerman and heirs from other tribes, Astrid was the only friend Hiccup had and the closest to his heart.

Hiccup just sat with Astrid, carving runes for the rest of the day talking and playing with Astrid. When his father, Stoick the Vast, came to find him, he was finished carving and admired his handiwork.

"Son, it's getting dark. Time to go home, you too lass." Hiccup then waved for his father to show him his work.

"Hey Dad, come and see. This is me, and this is Astrid, see? Now we are going to watch the sun rise forever." Stoick then came around the boulder and saw the rune carved in rocks. Externally, he was stoic and rarely let his emotions show on his face, but on the inside, he was bursting with pride and happiness.

"Son, how did you know how to do that? Did you ask from Gobber before you took the chisel?"

Hiccup suddenly felt sad and unlike his father, wasn't capable of preventing his emotions from being shown on his face. At this, Stoick picked Hiccup with one hand and Astrid from the other.

"It's good work, Hiccup. C'mon, let's drop Astrid and visit Gobber and see if you can be his apprentice. You still have a few years before you learn how to fight."

Hiccup gave his father his toothy smile "Thanks, Dad".

He went to the village thinking he was the luckiest boy in the world. He had Astrid, his best friend, Fishlegs, who shared his curiosity, the Thorston twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who were fun to be around and Snotlout Jorgenson, who was nice to him though he was "big-headed" person, heirs from other tribes who came few times a year, and most of all, he had a father who loved and understand him.

Little did he know that this was not the beginning of a happy life, but the end of one.

This was the beginning of a life of a leader, a life no one had ever seen before and possibly a life no one will ever see again. A life born of rejection and loneliness, forged by misery, tempered with acceptance, forgiveness, friendship and trust. Most of all, a life held together by an unyielding will of steel. This was the beginning of a boy who learned how to fly. One who changed the world.


	2. No Turning Back

_Present_

 **Hiccup's POV**

I snuck out of the house as soon as I was brought into it. I was having a hard day. Not that that's unusual or anything, it's just how life is for me. Check yester night, for example.

There was a raid again for the third time this week and, as usual, I was put into sharpening the blunt swords. By some god's grace, I had completed my innovations to my latest project, a bola-launcher called "The Mangler." This was mk-III, the only version that had yet to hurt me or completely collapse after the first throw. I had been lucky enough to test it a few times in the forest. It was in optimal working condition; now I just needed a real target to take it down with. I didn't ask for it, but later that night was when I gained my opportunity.

Half an hour after I made it to the forge, I was left alone to "man the fort." Gobber, being the tough and rude Viking he is, ran, or in this case, hobbled off to help the rest of the village. I went to take another shot at being a true part of this village, making my father proud and most importantly, gaining a chance at the girl of my dreams. The main battle was near the town center and the sheep pens, where most of the dragons were centered. I took my bola thrower and went to the last remaining catapult.

If I was going to get her to notice me, then shooting down anything short of the ultimate prize would be insufficient. By the ultimate prize, I'm talking about a dragon, but not just any dragon. This dragon is known for its unparalleled speed and legendary stealth. It never steals food, shows itself, or misses a shot. This dragon is also known through the archipelago as "The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself." I was hunting…for a Night Fury.

To my credit and extreme elation, I was successful. The plan worked. I had shot down a Night Fury! The only drawback was that I ended up letting myself get chased by a Monstrous Nightmare. I ran and hid by the brazier pole close to the village square where most of the action was. If my father hadn't intervened and fought off the Nightmare, well, the village would've thrown a party. Unfortunately, the brazier pole's foundation was completely burnt, so…yeah, that's how a good part of the village ended up getting demolished and that also explains how the dragons were able to escape with their spoils.

I got the usual disappointed scowl and scolding set from my father, hints about what a valuable member to the tribe I am from the villagers, usual side remarks from my peers. Astrid was the worst of it, I didn't look at her, but I could still feel her ice-cold stare of disgust burning in the back of my head.

I know what you're thinking: "But Hiccup, didn't you tell them about that Night Fury that you shot down?" I did, but I'll let you figure out if they believed me or not.

So, here I am, sneaking out of the house at the crack of dawn to my special place of solitude. Not really to be alone; I was almost always alone. I just wanted to be away from their hurtful words and disappointed scowls.

After a few minutes' walk on the usual path through the forest, I came to the cliff overseeing the ocean with two boulders placed to lie down. I lied down on my boulder which, after ten years of rubbing my back to it, had turned into a rather comfortable shape. I watched the sun rise from the horizon and the birds catching fish from the ocean, waiting for my burning depression and isolation to fall back into usual sadness and loneliness.

After a while, I started feeling better and stood up while dusting myself. I turned back to look at the moss covered, weather-torn boulder in which I no longer can see the runes which I know that is carved into it. That was when I realized I can no longer see mine either, it was worn off out of the rock as it adapted to the shape of my back. While walking into the forest to find the dragon I took down, I was thinking that those boulders are like the mirror of my life:

 _Astrid_ – my former best friend. I'm certain she's forgotten we used to be as close as best friends could be. As for _me_ – I completely molded and shifted myself, just to fit in with others. I'm nothing more but a fragment of the person I once was.

* * *

 **Astrid POV**

I was angry. Actually, you know what, maybe angry is too light a word. I wasn't just angry, I was furious, not even furious…

Livid. I was freaking livid.

I was killing trees in my usual spot to vent out the anger. I pictured every tree I kill being him; his thin bony figure, his weak, scrawny face, his awkward, misplaced freckles, and his unsightly auburn hair. Every time my axe embedded itself on a tree, I imagined it being his face and the splinters flying out to be his blood. Usually this helped but now, it's helping very little if at all. No one gets away with ruining my one chance of regaining my family's honor and glory. Tree after tree died at the edge of my axe. Around mid-day, my hand was bleeding and my shoulders were throbbing, the physical pain blunting the emotional pain I was feeling before I sheathed my axe.

While I walked out of my training ground, I'd couldn't let go of what that runt, Hiccup did to me. He needed to pay for what he did, and he would pay only in blood. He was always messing things up and because he's the son of Stoick the Vast, he got away with only a scolding, while the rest of us have to clean his mess. He never got the punishments he deserved.

Frankly, sometimes, I felt a bit sad for him whenever the twins and Snotlout beat him up. I even interfered and put a stop to it because I pitied him that much. Now, I'm starting to think they might be right to beat him up. I never joined them before as I saw no reason to beat that fishbone, but next time they get him, I'll be right there with them, beating him into oblivion.

I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice that I was almost at the end of the forest. After a few minutes and a few sets of stares, I was at the mead hall. I picked a half of a chicken with some bread and mead then walked to the usual table where the teens of our age hang. I don't think I need to explain why he's not considered one of us. After spilling a bit of mead on the bruises on my hand to help the healing, I started eating without a word. When I lifted my head, Hiccup's empty table in the corner greeted my vision. How dare he? First, he ruins my chance at glory, and now he doesn't even have the backbone to apologize or at least show up! I still remember what happened as if it was happening right in front of me.

**flashback **

 _"This isn't working guys. We can't save this; let's move to the bakers and silent Sven's". This house is beyond saving; the support beams are almost burned through._

 _"On it, babe." Snotlout is flirting with me as usual. "Did I tell you that you look amazing today? Because you do." He's starting to get very annoying and this is definitely not the time, or the place._

 _"Shut up Snotface! You and those two mutton heads take the Sven's, we'll take the bakery!" I yelled. "Come on, Fishlegs, let's take care of the bakery before we have to eat burned bread tomorrow."_

 _I ran towards the bakery, knowing that no matter how weird Fishlegs may be, he's not an idiot so I ran while grabbing Fishlegs' bucket in my other hand. I saw Fishlegs following me closely behind, dragging the water cart. We worked very hard to put out the fire on the bakery and we were almost complete when a Nadder decided it was a good idea to destroy the water cart. In that instant, Fishlegs ran screaming and waving his hands around like a maniac._

 _I was without water and a Zippleback was moving towards me, its sparking head was slain and was limply dragging along. The gas head was staring at me with white hot rage. I pulled my trusty axe from my sheath in a blink of an eye._

 _"Come and get me, ungodly beast. You're facing Astrid 'fearless' Hofferson! You'd be no match for me, even with both your heads!" I yelled on top of my lungs._

 _I was going to have the honor of killing my first dragon even before I started dragon training. I mean, even after I complete my training, I'll get to kill the nightmare anyway. This is the moment of my life; one I've been training my butt off for seven years. No turning back now. It was just me and that ugly dragon._

 _"Astrid, get down!"_

 _Someone yelled and that drew away my concentration. I turned to the side of the noise and I saw a torch broken from the stand heading right at my face. I dived out of the way without thinking twice. When I got up, I saw the dead body of the Zippleback and Hoark wiping blood of his blade. He nodded at me sadly, as if it were his fault I nearly died, which I know it wasn't. Shocked, I just walked towards the gathered Vikings to hear the orders from Stoick for the patching up of the village._

 _"Why can't you follow the simplest orders, Hiccup? Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Winter's almost…" That was all I needed to hear._

 _"So Hiccup's the one who broke the stand." I thought to myself. As the reality of the situation sunk in, I furrow my brows, ground my teeth, and clenched my fists. A fire, all too familiar to me, was burning deep within me. A thirst for blood…a hunger for vengeance!_

 _"When I get my hands on him, he'll wish he was never BORN_!"

**end flashback**

After I finished my lunch, I was formulating my plan of revenge. That was when the rest of the teens showed up, panting and whining.

"Oh MAN! When I get my hands on Hiccup, I'll gut him, tie him to a tree with his insides and watch while he is eaten by terrors." Snotlout said. I have to admit, it does seem like a nice idea.

"Yeah, it took forever to get that torch out of the stink house. Now I smell like rotten fish." Tuffnut whined.

"You usually smell like a rotting yak, so it's actually a marked improvement." Ruffnut rolled her eyes, which earned a punch on the face from her brother. Soon they were on the floor throwing punches at each other. After a while, they picked their meals and came to the table, talking about how and when we should corner Hiccup. After a while of listening to the dimwits, I figured that at this rate we'll be fifty when we finally corner him so I piped in.

"You know it's not that hard, after a raid like this, Stoick will go to find the nest and we'll have Hiccup all to our self for about a month." All of them stopped their gibbering and stared at me with wide eyes and jaws hitting the floor. "What? It's true, isn't it, Fish?" I asked innocently. He started to babble like a fish out of water. When I deepened my glare a notch, he swallowed hard and sprouted statistics as he usually does.

"There's a ninety-nine point eight chance that the expedition will start within the next three days."

"See, I told you. He'll be wasting a lot of time wandering around the woods. It's not like he'll ever get into dragon training like us." Tuffnut said, winking at Ruffnut.

Ruffnut looked puzzled. She stared at me, not buying what I was saying. Not that I blamed her. "Let me get this straight. You're going to help us put Hiccup in his place, not sell us out like the last few times?"

"Why would I sell you out? That prick needs to learn his place anyway" I said angrily.

"Then if he's such a prick, why on Midgard were you yanking my braids, telling me to go easy on him, missy?"Snotlout who was unusually quiet until now started speaking.

"Didn't you hear that the fish-bone made Astrid miss her chance to kill a Zippleback? I overheard my dad talking with the chief, and apparently, all the Hoffersons, especially her mother, are angry about it." He boasted while winking and started again. "You see, Astrid, if you think he'll be a true Viking someday, you're dreaming. Unrealistically, I might add."

That just about did it. I leaped out of my seat, grabbed his collar with one hand and raised my unsheathed axe in the other. "Care to repeat what you just said, Snotface? I didn't quite catch it the first time."

He swallowed audibly and started shaking his head like a maniac. "That's what I thought. I would warn you to use your brain, but seeing that you don't have much of one, there's no use in wasting my breath."

I climbed off the table and walked out without even saying another word to the gang, my axe still in my hand.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the middle of the forest near ravenpoint._

 **Hiccup POV**

"Oh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife, mug, or axe, but no, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon!"

It was around mid-day and I had been searching for that dragon since morning. I am sure that it fell near raven point, and on top of that, I'm starting to feel really hungry too. Out of frustration, I punched a branch that was in my way and received the full recoil to my face, knocking me off the path. I stood up and glared at the branch and I saw that while the branch was intact, there was a considerably large splinter from a tree that was split in two.

"What the..."

Soon, I learned why as I saw more trees broken or bent with a huge force. A path of gouged-up terrain was laid out right in front of me. I followed the path until it disappeared behind a rock-slab. When I carefully peeked over the slab, I saw the most beautiful thing I have saw in my entire life.

It was a Night Fury, the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. It appeared to be dead. This is a good thing. I started walking around the rock-slab and got close to the night fury that was tangled in the ropes.

"Oh wow. Oh my gods, this changes everything! I have brought down this mighty beast!"

I was overjoyed, I mean I was hoping for this moment for a long time but deep down I knew that the chances of achieving my goal were very, very slim. What I would gain from this hit me in full force; now I finally have a chance. No more disappointed scowls, no more scolding, maybe the bullying would stop as well. Most of all, Astrid might like me again. But my bubble blew when the Night Fury moved. I took a battle stance though a feeble one unsheathing my sword. Except it wasn't as much a sword as it was a coral stick sharpening dagger.

"I'm gonna cut your heart out and give it to my father."

This was it. It was all going to return. The smiles, the greeting, Dad's pride in me, Astrid's friendship with me, everything from when I was five was going to come back to me. But…it opened its eyes and stared at me with its green, soul piercing slits. I am a lot of things; slim and scrawny the most noticeable among them, but I'm not stupid or heartless. I think it was my lack of heartlessness that made me notice something I have only seen once in my life before this day. Its eyes were not ones of a mindless killing machine, but ones of an intelligent creature. Its eyes didn't show bloodthirst or rage, but understanding, fear, and acceptance. This is the same eyes I see every time I look at my reflection on water or the mirror.

"I've made it. The turning point of my life. If I kill it, I get everything I ever wanted, but I would lose myself. If I don't kill it, I'll lose everything, I'll even lose my life for that matter but I won't lose myself to this. I've got to. I'm a Viking. I'm a Viking! I'M A VIKING!" I struggle with myself, and even close my eyes to blot out the image. Its moan of acceptance did nothing to assuage the emerging virus of guilt in my heart. With a yell of abandon, I plunge down my knife.

"I'M…!"

.

.

.

"I'm…."

.

.

.

"I…."

.

.

.

Only to stop inches short of hitting its eye. It seems that for everything I could've gained if I had just followed through the first time, I couldn't do it. I couldn't simply run my permanently sharpened blade through the Night Fury's eye and consecrate myself as a dragon slayer. I lower my knife, shame…and relief fighting in a titanic battle for the proper emotion in my heart.

"I did this." I thought out loud to myself. Then I thought about what I could do, or rather, what I would do. I could leave him here then he'll die of hunger. It's same as killing him. If I cut him out, I'll die, but looking at my view, I don't have much to lose. Such a strong dragon would kill me in a heartbeat. When he closed his eyes and laid his head back, his neck was exposed. I could kill him in an instance. But I won't. I will not kill him. Besides, the worst that could happen is, after I die, I'll finally be able to see my mother. My heart was inundated with joy at that thought. Then with my best wishes to Valhalla, I started to cut loose the ropes restraining him from killing me.

One by one, I was getting closer to death as I cut the ropes. Once the last rope was cut, it only took a second for him to charge onto me pinning me on to a rock and he stared right at me, his face inches away from mine. After a second, I realized that he was studying me. I have to admit, I had never been this frightened in my entire life. I actually nearly wet myself. I felt him inhaling hard. I closed my eyes.

"At least it'll be quick."

I expected to feel a white-hot pain and then…nothing. What I didn't expect was for one of my eardrums to record an enormously loud Night Fury roar, or to hear it turn away from me and fly off somewhere else. I stood back up, not knowing how I fell in the first place. I picked up my knife.

"Well, that went well. Someone met a Night Fury and may very well live to tell the tale after all."

That was my last thought before I welcomed the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.

* * *

 _After the meeting for the hunt…_

 **Stoick POV**

"Well I'll pack my undies, if that's alright by you, Stoick." Gobber asked while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"No Gobber. You stay and train the young recruits." Stoick said while putting a hand on Gobber's shoulder.

"Well, I guess Hiccup can look after the forge. Nothing could possibly go wrong with him having access to hot metals, pointy objects, and lots of time to himself." Gobber said with his usual mocking speech.

"You know how it is Gobber, he'll get himself killed before you even let the first dragon out." I started pacing; this was a very hard subject for me. "Y'know, by the time he could crawl I could tell he was different; I take him out to go fishing then he goes hunting for trolls-!"

"Ey, trolls exist! They steal your socks but only the left ones, I wonder why." Frankly, I blame Gobber for Hiccup's obsession for trolls.

"When I was a boy, my father said to bang my head on a rock. I thought he was crazy, but I did it anyway. You know what happened?"

"You got a headache."

"No! Well, not just that, but that rock split in two as well. Even as a boy I knew who I was, and who I had to become. Hiccup is not that same boy." I shook my head in frustration. It was a pain in my back to think about this. Gobber gave me an understanding look.

"I know it's hopeless but the truth is you can't always protect him. He'll have to go out someday, and he's probably out there now. The most you can do is prepare him." I sighed. As much as I hated the idea of Hiccup in danger, I knew when argument is won or lost. Unfortunately for me, this argument was lost.

"Ok Gobber, he'll join dragon training. But I want him back with all limbs intact."

"I make no promises, and I give no apologies." With that, he left me to my thoughts. I'll have to finish preparations and tell Hiccup about it. I can't tell him in the morning, because some things are better dealt with sooner than later. With a heavy sigh, I begin the trek back to my house.


	3. Dragon training

_same place he fell unconscious._

 **Hiccup POV**

When I opened my eyes, I was lying face down on the ground. While pushing up to my elbows and sitting down, I looked around. It was getting dark.

"I better get back before it gets too dark to walk through the forest." Picking up and sheathing my dagger, I started walking towards the village.

What happened before still disturbed me, but it also intrigued me. After all, you don't usually meet "The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself" and walk away. I honestly never thought that dragons had enough intelligence to know when they had no more options. They knew fear. What bothers me most was that a Night Fury, let alone, any dragon was willing to show me mercy. I guess it-well, he does have a heart. I wonder if every other dragon is like this as well. At the end of the day, I found something else out about myself.

I could never kill a dragon.

I walked to the mead hall in a faster pace than I normally would have, as I have not eaten anything for the entire day. I may consume less energy than normal Vikings but I still needed food. I gathered a little bit of everything remaining from lunch, as it was still too early for dinner, and a mug of yak milk. In a few minutes in my "private VIP table" as I call it, I finished my meal and walked towards my house.

* * *

 **HICCUP POV** -cont'd

Even before opening the door, I can hear my father sharpening his axe or something. Frankly, I do not need another lecture about how irresponsible I am, to be more Viking and be less…me. Therefore, I sneaked in quietly and started walking up the staircase, hoping he wouldn't see me.

"Hiccup, we need to talk."

He didn't even turn around. What was I thinking? He's the chief; he always knows what happens on Berk whether or not he heard about it. His whetstone was scraping his axe. From the looks of things, he had been thinking hard about something. Keep this equation in your head: Dad thinking hard - ice blocks = me in trouble.

"I have something to tell you too, Dad."

"I've decided/It's time/ I don't want/ you learn/ to fight dragons" Both of us voiced at the same time.

"What?" It happened again.

"You go first."

"No, you go first." I said as I climbed down the few steps that I have managed to sneak up.

"All right" he seemed to be excited. "You get your wish. You start Dragon training in the morning."

"Oh, man, I should have gone first. Err… I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings," I tried to explain that I would not be killing dragons any time in the near future. As usual, he did not even hear what I was saying. Behold, my typical dad. "But do we have enough bread-making Vikings or small-home-repair Vikings?"

Picking up a huge axe, he stepped away from his seat towards me. "You'll need this." He dropped a huge battle-axe into my hand, which almost made me lose my footing.

"I don't want to fight dragons."

"Come on. Yes, you do." Oh man, did he look determined.

"Rephrase. Dad, I can't kill dragons."

"But you will kill dragons."

How I could possibly win after seeing his eyes twinkling with joy and pride? This conversation is as good as lost.

"No, I'm really very extra-sure that I won't."

"It's time, Hiccup."

I can tell by his tone he's in no mood for compromises. Still, I had to try. "Can you not hear me?" I start with my semi stern voice but frankly, it's not much.

"This is serious, son." He picked up the axe that I was holding, almost dropping. He then straightened the axe as I was holding my handle higher than the axe head. He straightened my back as I struggled not to fall with the axe.

"When you carry this axe you carry all of us with you. Which mean you walk like us, you talk like us, and you think like us. There'll be no more of…this."

"You just gestured to all of me." I groaned. It annoyed me how he and Gobber kept referring to all of me as a "this" as if it were unusual or they had no idea what to call it.

"Deal?" He was staring at me with his stern expression.

"This conversation is very one-sided."

"Deal?" He said a bit more pressingly. I sigh, knowing further negotiations are impossible.

"Deal."

"Good. Train hard. I'll be back. Probably." He walked out of the house with his burlap sack and his helmet.

"And I'll be here. Maybe." After he was out of the door, I dropped the axe and I walked up the stairs to my room, which encompassed the entire second floor. It's not much, actually, but I love it, because it's mine. I lay down on the bed removing my fur vest and boots. Sleep claimed me as I was thinking of how slim the possibility of me downing a night fury, meeting one, and living to tell the tale.

 _Next morning,_ I woke up early, but I idly lay on the bed for a while. Good thing Dad's not home. I know from our little "talk" yesterday that he's probably going on another hunt for the dragon nest. So imagine my surprise when I hear his voice bellow at me from beneath me.

"HICCUP, get down here! You're almost late for dragon training!"

Looks like he hasn't left yet. I lazily make my way downstairs to the first floor.

"Good morning, father. I thought that you went to lead the hunt?" I asked with genuine curiosity.

"Morning son, I went to oversee the preparations. We leave tonight; I would never miss the chance to see you at dragon training."

It may have come out of his mouth, but I could tell a lie a mile away. The rest of the breakfast went on without much of a talk and soon Dad told me to pick up the axe from yesterday. Soon, we were off to the kill ring…and, prospectively, to my untimely demise.

* * *

 **Astrid POV**

I've waited for this day for a long time. I was up earlier than usual waking up time and was quickly off to Mead Hall to grab breakfast. I ate fast and started walking down the stairs to the kill ring. I was excited but it all went away when I saw that Hiccup and the chief walking towards the kill ring. There goes my plan of revenge. I wonder how long he will be here.

We all gathered near the gate, waiting until Gobber opened it up. We didn't have to wait long as Gobber then hobbled to the gate and lifted it with his hook-arm. "Welcome to dragon training!"

"No turning back." I thought aloud. The others might have thought that was a thing or something as they all started to say foolish lines.

"I hope I get some serious burns." Yeah, right. Something small might be nice, but Tuffnut would probably prefer burning at a stake.

"I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back." It was the same story, but with a different gender. Personally, I wanted just one definitive battle scar.

"Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

"Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it." He must really think I wanted to hear his grating sarcasm again. I honestly don't think he'll understand how irritating he is unless I shove my axe down his throat. He didn't even seem to be the slightest interested about dragon training, I mean, he should be beyond grateful for his father to letting him even enter.

"Oh, great. Who let him in?" Tuffnut earned an approving nod from everybody, even from the villagers who had gathered around the ring to watch the first lesson of this year's dragon training. Only Gothi, the village elder and the chief gave no response.

"Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village." Gobber started the lesson, only for Snotlout to interrupt him.

"Hiccup already killed a Night Fury so does that disqualify him or...?" I have to admit, no one makes fun of the runt better than Snotlout.

"Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?" Tuffnut asked. I was able to keep my serious face but Tuffnut just made it hard not to smile.

We then moved towards the center of the ring. Gobber was saying something to hiccup, maybe something to ease his mind not into fainting as soon as the dragon was out. Soon he beside Fishlegs on our line and Gobber started introducing the dragons.

"Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight! The Deadly Nadder-"

I heard Fishlegs spilling dragon information right to Hiccup's brain trough his ear. "Speed eight, armor sixteen."

"-The Hideous Zippleback-"

"Plus eleven stealth, Times two."

"-The monstrous nightmare-"

"Firepower fifteen,"

"-The terrible terror-"

"Attack eight, venom twelve-"

"CAN YOU STOP THAT?" Gobber finally snapped and frankly, I'm not far behind.

"And the Gronckle." He finished, while reaching for the lever of the last door. This freaked Snotlout out. "Wait, aren't you going to teach us first?"

"I believe in learning on the job." He snickered with his rock tooth grin. With that, he pulled the lever releasing the Gronckle. The oversized behemoth blasted into the arena and my battle reflexes kicked in, status report axe-check, skill-check, strategy-defensive, and shield-nil. Need to grab a shield and fast. "Today is about survival. If you get blasted...you're dead."

"Quick, what's the first thing you'll need?"

"A doctor?" Of course, why wouldn't Hiccup try to be funny in the face on impending doom?

"Plus five speed?"

I could not believe I stuck with these people. "A shield!"

"Shields. Go!" I was waiting for the order so two steps later I got a shield. Gobber continued with the lecture but I was not paying much attention to it. My eyes were on the Gronckle.

"Your most important piece of equipment is your shield! If you must choose between a sword and a shield, take the shield!" Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Gobber helping Hiccup put on his shield. Just how useless could this runt be? At this rate, I may never get my chance for revenge, as by the end of the lesson, the dragon would have killed him. The Twins were fighting, as usual, over for a shield and that racket they were making got the Gronckle's attention.

"Tuffnut, Ruffnut you're out."

"WHAT?" They said in unison.

"Those shields are good for another thing; Noise! Make lots of it to throw a dragon's aim!" Now that is a useful piece of information. We all started bashing our shields with the weapons. Whatever Gobber says, this tactic is only good as long as we are in a large group, why would I make myself a target if I'm alone?

"All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?"

"Five?" Snotlout guessed.

"No six!" Fishlegs yelled. We had broken our formation earlier on, and therefore the Gronckle was attracted to Fishlegs' outburst.

"Correct, six! That's one for each of you." Fishlegs was running out of the arena screaming the moment he lost his shield.

"Hiccup, get in there!" I honestly didn't expect Hiccup to last this long, but hiding behind a barricade doesn't count as lasting. Then again, Gobber did say today was about survival.

"I moved into my parents' basement." Snotlout is flirting with me, in the middle of training, with a dragon on the loose. I'll let you figure out what was wrong with that. I keep my eyes on the dragon coming at me. "You should come by some time and work out. You look like you work out." Snotlout clearly wasn't paying attention because he kept rambling on. Naturally, he took a lava-slug to the chest, shield and all.

"Snotlout! You're done!"

When I finished my reverse tumble, I found myself right next to hiccup. "So it's just you and me, huh?"

"Nope, just you" As I saw the Gronckle, I stepped aside. Hiccup too saw it coming but it looks like he had a hard time processing what was going on. He lifts his shield barely in time to deflect the shot but the force sends the shield flying. Hiccup, unsurprisingly, took off after. Just like that, my revenge becomes dragon feed. Hiccup sensed the Gronckle after him and he left the shield, taking off in the opposite direction. However, the Gronckle was more interested in the Viking than the Viking shield.

"HICCUP!" Stoick and Gobber yelled. The chief was running as fast as he could in to the arena and Gobber was closing on the Gronckle. The others and I stood to see hiccup all-overs the place, well except Fishlegs who was closing his eyes with both hands.

The Gronckle had him pinned to the wall and Gronckle was just about to let loose its final shot when Gobber intercepted and pulled the Gronckle off. All the teens save Fishlegs along with the others watching outside arena groaned in disappointment.

"And that's six. Go back to bed, you overgrown sausage!" He threw the dragon to the cage and hobbled to the lock.

"You'll get another chance, don't you worry." He finished after locking the door.

"Remember, a dragon will always,-" He turned towards Hiccup "-always go for the kill."

Lifting Hiccup from the ball he curled up, Gobber walked towards us while a steaming red face red bearded chief was walking towards Hiccup. Gobber grabbed the chief's hand, stopping him. If anyone else had tried to stop the chief, they would, well, some Valkyries would be singing…or not.

"Great form, Astrid. Class dismissed. Meet at the Mead Hall by dinner to see what you learned today."

We were slowly moving out, but the reason why we were moving slowly darted out of the arena in a blink of an eye.

* * *

 _In the dragon killing arena_

 **Stoick POV**

"Let him be, Stoick. He'll get around it, I'm sure of it." Gobber was trying to calm me down. How am I supposed to be calm? My only son, the last of my family nearly died on the first day on dragon training! He may be a reckless fish-bone but he's my son! No one, not even Thor could undo that! I'm starting to regret my decision; maybe I shouldn't have let Gobber win.

"This right here is what I've been trying to tell you, Gobber. He almost got eaten today".

"I know Stoick, but you are missing the point. He almost got eaten, key word being almost-"

"We both know that it's because of you!" I cut him off. We both know if Gobber hadn't stepped in, I would be the only Haddock left!

"I know, I know, but you see, Stoick, even with his lack of muscles and training, he still managed to be one of the last two standing. I've known him my whole life, Stoick, even when you go on hunts to the nest and leave him here; he's not a boy who runs in to things head on without thinking through."

I had to admit, he was right. However, his "knowing him" speech did hurt. It was as if he was Hiccup's father, not me! Nevertheless, I nod, letting him continue.

"Look at Spitelout's kid, he's been training since he was four, and by Spitelout himself! Yet, Hiccup still lasted longer than he did! What I'm saying is, give him some space, and let him find things out for himself. He'll become a Viking, just like the rest of us."

I am at a loss of words. He's right, but how could I let him fall into danger? He's my son, and whatever others may think on it, I do love him.

"I know Gobber. It's just...he's the only thing that I have left of Val. I just-I can't stand the thought of failing them both. I can't lost him, Gobber."

"Give him some space, Stoick. He'll make you proud." He started cleaning the arena and made his way to the docks.

Despite how I feel about Hiccup being in dragon training, Gobber was right. I should pay more attention to him, but I should not be overprotective. After all, you can't expect a boy to grow into his own if you keep smothering him all the time. At any rate, that's then. This is now, and now, I have a nest to find and a hunt to plan.

* * *

 _On his way to ravenpoint_

 **Hiccup POV**

"Remember, a dragon will always, always go for the kill."

Those words were ringing in my ears as I ran back to Raven Point.

"Then why didn't you?" As counterintuitive as it was, I couldn't help my curiosity. If the Night Fury didn't need to kill me, then why was that Gronckle so eager to do so? Maybe because of our weapons? I don't even consider my "dagger" a real weapon.

Eventually, I reached the place where I freed the dragon and tried to remember to which direction he went. Finally, I remembered a faint idea of where he went. As foolish as it may seem to search for a flying dragon on land, again, my curiosity got the better of me. I went anyway.

After a few minutes, I found myself at the entrance of a cove. It surpassed beautiful, it was majestic. I had intended to sit down and enjoy the view when I noticed something. A black gem grinded to a flat shape with vain like patterns carved to it. It looked similar to…it didn't look like a dragon scale.

It was a dragon scale.

I was immediately knocked back, my reflexes failing me at the sight of the huge black figure approaching.

"So this is a Night Fury scale."

Such a beautiful scale would look great if I could make into a necklace. I may even appeal to Astrid with it. However, admittedly, the color of the scale would contrast horribly on Astrid's pale skin.

I exited the train of thought as I saw the dragon coming down. It looked like he was trying to get out of the cove. Why didn't he just fly out? The Night Fury looked so beautiful; I just couldn't help but draw it. After I finished, I leaned in to get a better look. Then the coal stick slipped from the book and noisily fell into the cove. The Night Fury looked up at the ledge I was leaning on and after a few seconds of waiting, I stepped back. I was running as fast as I could towards the village, not in fear but out of necessity to return as soon as possible.

It had been about an hour since I left and in that hour, I ate an early lunch, brought a salmon from the docs, "borrowed" a shield from the smith's stall, (Gobber was not there so I pick and ran)and headed back to the cove. When I arrived there, I was going to give the fish to the Night Fury in exchange for my life. I could have just thrown it from where I came previously, but y'know, kids like me: born stubborn. After finding a place that was not too high to enter, I hid behind my shield and started moving forward. Soon, I found it was a stupid idea as I manage to wedge the shield in between two boulders leaving me defenseless. I gave one last pull to see whether it would budge, but seeing that it yielded no success, I entered the cove anyway. I looked left and right but found no Night Fury

"Where are you hiding?" I thought aloud as I turned around, only to find that the Night Fury was estimating me from atop of one of the boulders I wedged my shield in-between when I came in. He slowly came toward me and I quickly extended my hand with the peace offering. He came closer to me like a cat Thuggory once had and immediately he started growling. Then it hit me; I still had my dagger. When I pulled it out, he growled louder and took a predatory stance. When I dropped it he was doing something with his head, is he gesturing me to kick it aside? When I kicked it, the result was, immediate his pupils became dilated, and his stance dropped and was looking at me like an overgrown puppy. I extended the fish again and this time, he opened his mouth and came closer.

"Toothless, I could have sworn you had teeth."

As if on cue, two up and down rows of razor sharp teeth emerged and gnashed the fish, devouring in three bites.

"Oh."

He started to come toward me again. He kept pushing me until I was cornered. I figured he thought I had more fish.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any more."

Then he spit out half of the fish he ate on my lap. It was as slimy as it was disgusting, and it was a good amount of both. He sat on his rear legs, started licking its tongue, and gestured from the fish to me. I didn't want to believe what he was asking, well gesturing for me to do, but he's a plasma shooting dragon and I'm just a svelte human. Reluctantly I took a small bite. Thor must be mocking me as his offspring then wants me to swallow the raw, dragon drool covered, salmon. Eventually, I downed it, with great difficulty, and gave my signature lopsided grin to cover my disgust. He was trying to mimic me with his teeth gone and gums showing. It maybe weird but I found that amazing. I un-intentionally reached out to touch him.

The teeth were back, his eyes were slits again, and he leapt and glided away from me. Shaking his head and burning a patch on the ground, he lay down. With that, I was sure he was going to make no genuine attempt to kill me. Therefore, like a curious idiot, I walked closer to him to watch him sleep. He was looking at a bird and when that bird flew over me, he saw me. I gave him a one-hand wave. Puffing a smoke ring at me, he covered his face with his tail fin and went to sleep. I stayed there until it start got dark and taking a one last look at the Night Fury I walked back to the village.

* * *

 **Neodym-** Thanks for the review I've written almost 80% of the story but have to translate it so that's the delay and I have few free days so I might be able to upload another chapter or two ;)

 **Midnightsky0612-** Thank you very much.


	4. Fury of a Goddess

**Hiccup POV**

When I entered the Mead Hall, the others were already finished with their meals and their assessment of today's performance. I, on the other hand was soaking wet from the rain, and above all else, hungry.

"There you are, lad. Where do you think you went wrong?" Gobber asked, seeing me carrying my dinner. I sat down on an empty table next to the table where the teens usually sat. I was about to tell him that entering dragon training in the first place was where I went wrong, but from the looks of things, I won't need to waste my breath.

"He showed up." Ruffnut answered.

"He didn't get eaten." Tuffnut continued.

"He's never where he should be." That last comment really hurt. Mostly because the amount of venom on those words and the fact they came from Astrid. Man, my chances with her are dwindling into single digits.

"Thank you Astrid, you need to live and breathe this stuff. The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of." He was speaking to me dropping the book on my table.

"But why, Gobber? We read that useless book already." Snotlout whined.

"I was speaking to him, you muttonhead!" He gestured to me with his hook arm. Astrid had glared daggers at me a few times so she might as well have been glaring daggers at me the whole time. After a few minutes, I finished dinner and started walking towards the docks with Gobber to see my dad before he left. "So Hiccup, you did well today at the ring." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh sure, Gobber. If I manage to keep this up, you'll have to find a new apprentice soon."Gobber took a while to reply and we had almost reached the docks when he did.

"Look, Hiccup. As bad as failing is, that's nothing compared to how bad it is to give up hope." That was deep. This was a rare father-figure and son moment that I wish I had with my own father.

"Who are you? What have you done with Gobber, you evil man?" I shouted dramatically, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Ah, quit ya yapping." He smacked back of my head with his good hand. We shared a chuckle. I watched with Gobber as dad climbed into the lead ship. When he saw us, he waved at both of us. Under the torch light, I could see the corners of his beard lifting up. I waved back enthusiastically with a grin of my own. That alone filled me with determination, the knowledge that no matter how much I disappoint him, my father will always love me.

I waited until the fleet could no longer be seen then we walked home. We shared our "goodnights" and departed for our respective homes.

When I got to my room, I finally realized that I still had the dragon manual. I wondered what I could find about Night Furies so I started going through the book. I skimmed through a few pages and had no luck so far. I could summarize the whole manual in nine words: "Dragons are extremely dangerous demons. Kill them on sight." Huh. I always wondered why no other Viking had a good ability to read or write. I nearly gave up on this book until I came across what I was searching for:

"NIGHT FURY, The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself. Its speed and size both remain unknown...NEVER engage this dragon. Your only chance: hide and pray that it does not find you." I remembered the sketch I made of the dragon. After extracting the book from my vest pocket, I laid it on the table open on the page of the drawing.

"Guess there's a first time for everything." I went to sleep, as there was nothing else preventing from it. Just before sleep welcomed me into its realm, the last thought I had was that the Night Fury I encountered may be a dragon but he sure is something.

* * *

 _Next morning_

 **Astrid POV**

The day came. The day that Stoick couldn't protect that wimp anymore had finally arrived. They left yester night and as they departed, so did Hiccup's safety. Everything and anything keeping me away from extracting my vengeance had vanished. The only thing I needed to do other than corner was to get everyone on board. I could easily talk Snotlout in to "teaching" Hiccup a "lesson." Who was I kidding, all I needed to do was wink at him and he'd make a 'bottled essence' out of Hiccup. I could corner him in the morning, but then Gobber would cancel training. If I was going to kill that Nightmare, I would have to complete my training. In the end, I resolved to get that toothpick after training. I quickly got out of the bed and get dressed.

I soon went to the Mead Hall to grab breakfast. Both my parents have joined the hunt as I'm now at training age which leaves me with the whole house to myself. I grabbed breakfast, ate quickly, and went to the forest to work out a bit before the lessons started. I needed to be in top form for dragon training…and my violent retribution.

* * *

 **Hiccup POV**

I stood at my cliff edge watching the sunrise. Usually I came here whenever I needed some peace of mind, but I went out of habit this time. After the sun was out of the ocean, I headed back to grab a chord of fish for Toothless. I decided to call him that because, to tell you the truth, that name is growing on me. It's the ultimate joke: Toothless, the Night Fury.

I arrived at the cove within half an hour. I saw him in the first sweep of the cove. He was hanging from his tail, upside down on a tree. I waited for him to wake up but fortunately, that wasn't long. Soon he was on me sniffing the air madly and giving me puppy eyes.

"Hey there, Toothless. Do you mind me calling you Toothless?" He'd didn't mind the name but he seemed to care a lot about the fish. I learned my lesson yesterday; no feeding by hand unless you want to eat regurgitated cod. After un-tying the knot at the top, I pulled the thin rope, dropping the fish on the ground and stepped back. It was a good Idea as the Night Fury started practically inhaling fish within no time.

As I watched him eat, I thought back to how I was feeling yesterday. I was afraid to encounter him again, but after seeing him, not only from far away, but up close as well, I felt more comfortable around him. I could feel him looking at me, eager for more fish.

"Sorry pal. I'm all out." I smiled sadly. He stared at me for a while and went back to the tree he was hanging.

I sat on a small rock and started drawing Toothless in the dirt with a stick I found. When I was halfway through, I felt him standing behind me and staring at the drawing. He left after a while and I heard a snapping sound soon afterwards. I turned back and saw that the dragon had a small tree on his mouth, drawing random lines on dirt going everywhere. He even slapped my head with the leafy part a few times in the process. Soon, I'm sitting on a rock in the middle of a maze of lines. He was looking at the lines with his big green eyes. Is he appreciating his handy work?

As I walked out of the maze, I stepped on a line he drew. He started lightly growling at me. Seeing this, I lifted my leg and the growling stopped, a loud content purring in its place. Stepped on the line again, Toothless growled. Removed the foot, Toothless purred. Stepped on the line again, I received the loudest growl I have received so far. He's definitely protective of his work. I'm usually a bit clumsy but when a fire-breathing lizard is waiting for you to mess up, well do you really need any more incentive not to mess up? As carefully as I could, which was very carefully, surprisingly, I flowed between the lines as I started to navigate the maze of lines. Soon, I lost my bearing and next thing I know that I'm in front of him with my back facing him.

He was looking at me with his green eyes. I couldn't find a single hint of hostility in them. It was almost like looking at eyes of a friend. I wanted to touch him so I reached out and he started growling, but I noticed that his eyes were still not slits; that had to mean something. Then it occurred to me, I've been trying to force a bond with Toothless without giving him any sort of input.

I couldn't force that onto Toothless. I couldn't force anything on anyone, much less a dragon.

I extended my hand toward him and turned my head to the other direction. I also closed my eyes so if things go south, then I wouldn't see it happening.I felt a warm breath on my palm.

"Well, this is it. Either I'm Hiccup the Useless or I'm Hiccup "the Handless"." What happened next blew my mind. A dry, rough, but gentle snout met my palm. I turned around and saw the Night Fury closing his eyes and purring lightly. After a while, he removed his head and flew off like lightning. I wonder what he made of what just happened, I sure couldn't.

So I let him be and went back to the village. I had to grab breakfast late because I lied to Toothless; I don't like raw, dragon drool covered fish. Then again, who did? I was about to head back to my house for a few more hours of solitude and Zs before I remembered something dreadfully important.

Dragon training.

* * *

 _At Astrid's usual training place at the woods._

 **Astrid POV**

I sheathed my axe and walked toward the village trough the familiar path through the woods. I had spent the last hour training. When I left, I felt unfulfilled. Then I realized that I still had my own mission to complete after training. When I came near the Kill Ring, the gang was already there, with the exception of Snotlout; he always slept till midday.

"So Astrid, what do you think about today's dragon training? Can you retain your place at the top?" I knew what Ruffnut was talking about; the twins are well known for their childish gambles.

"Not interested." I replied coldly.

"Come on, Astrid. You'll get a hairless yak and three chickens if you win!" Tuffnut tried to persuade me.

"So far, it's death from serious burns from Tuffnut, maiming at your hand from me- just so that you know if you do maim him I'll split the loot between us –and being just behind you as last time from fish". Ruffnut's proposition does sound good. The temptation was great, even though I personally find gambling annoying. It always irks me how some people are able to get absolutely everything by doing next to nothing to earn it.

"I'll pass."

"You know, Tuffnut…we could set Hiccup's house on fire, then we'd get to see what a roasted fishbone would look like." Ruffnut started her usual conversation on creating disaster.

"Yes! I always wondered what a roasted fishbone would look like!" Tuffnut replied.

"You guys do realize that the house you are going to burn belongs to the chief? There's a ninety-nine percent probability of getting your whole family banished." Fishlegs asked Tuffnut, knowing full well that he had not thought about that.

"Oh...wait, does that mean that Hiccup's the next chief?" Tuffnut asked with his "I'm-thinking-hard" expression, causing Fishlegs to face palm.

I smacked the back of Tuffnut's not too gently. "Of course he is, you nimrod."

I wish there would be a better way to kill time than hanging out with these idiots. Then I saw Snotlout crossing the bridge toward the kill ring. He was soon tackled by the twins and they started placing bets, distracting him from my presence. I sighed, relieved that Snotlout wouldn't be spending his waking moments flirting with me.

So far, everything was going my way.

* * *

 **Hiccup POV**

When I was heading to the arena to 'fake' today's lesson, I met Gobber on the way. He was walking a bit away from me so I ran to catch up with him.

"Hey Gobber, wait up!" I called. Looks like he heard me, cause he stopped in his tracks.

"Morning Hiccup. Where have you been?"

"Oh...I was wandering around the forest."

"Hiccup, the forge doesn't light by itself, you know."

"Oh. That. Well…I did it on purpose. After all, we don't want your forge to burn down with you here training us." I lied, giving him a goofy grin and rubbing the back of my neck.

"I know you forgot about it, Hiccup." Gobber said with a knowing grin.

"Anyway, I was reading the dragon manual yesterday and I couldn't help noticing that it had nothing on Night Furies?" He was the best man for the job. He may act like a two-limbed idiot at times, but I know from experience that he knows his stuff. If anyone knew about Night Furies, I was certain it'd be Gobber.

"That's because it's all we know. To this day, no one's ever seen a Night Fury and lived to tell the tale. That's enough questions for now, lad. I can't just stand here and let you talk me to death."

Well, so much for Gobber knowing about Night Furies. He then walked toward the gate and through the bars of the gate. The arena was made into a maze, complete with wooden walls. He unceremoniously opened the gate and started speaking.

"Today is all about attack." He gestured for us to start walking. When we were all in, he closed the gate, locking us inside.

"Aren't you going to come in and help us if things go wrong?" Fishlegs asked worriedly. To be truthful, I was a bit frightened as well.

"What help would it do, eh? Am I fifteen feet tall?" Then he walked toward the levers for the cages that were fixed outside the arena. "Nadders are quick and light on their feet." He spoke, pulling back on a blue lever. Perfect, just perfect. I could outrun a Gronckle, but a Nadder? He must be out of his mind. Wait a minute, of course he is, he's a Viking!

"Your job is to be quicker and lighter!" As he finished speaking, Fishlegs' shield just ate a volley of Nadder spikes.

"I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!" Fishlegs yelled.

The avian-looking chased the teens to the other side of the arena. When I sure that dragon's attention was off me, I turned back to the stands to question Gobber again about the Night Furies. Unfortunately, before I could speak, my axe was burned off suddenly and I saw the Nadder staring at me with an eyeful of venom. "Focus, Hiccup! You're not even trying!"

I started running, but it wasn't long before the other teens joined and passed me by. I hid in a corner and saw Astrid and Snotlout lowering their shields, moving quietly. Astrid caught sight of me and gestured at me to get lower and Snotlout nodded, affirming her command. I hid without hesitation. She leapt to the next blockade, using her shield as leverage. So did Snotlout. But when I tried, let's say the shield decided to use me as leverage. So I fell in the center of the path with a loud "thud." This caught the Nadder's attention. I quickly ran and hid behind the next barricade. Looks like the Nadder missed me.

"Look for its blind spot; every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it and strike."

After a few seconds, I heard the Twins screaming and Gobber chuckling, was he really enjoying this?

"Blind spot, yes. Deaf spot, not so much."

I still haven't got my answers so I sneaked toward the sound of Gobber finding him soon after.

"Hey, has any one seen one during the day? They probably take the day time off, right? Like a cat." I was deep in talk with Gobber, though he appeared to be not listening. Unfortunately for me, I did not notice that Astrid and the Nadder were playing some sort of tag, wrecking the whole makeshift maze.

"Has anyone ever seen one napping?" The other teens ran past me, shoving me to the side.

"Hiccup!"

Gobber said in a warning voice, but that voice was soon overpowered by a shriller, feminine voice.

"HICCUP!"

I just manage to turn around to see Astrid leaping toward me. If this wasn't training, this would be a dream come true. However, this dream hurts immensely as my body absorbed most of the recoil from her ungraceful landing.

"Oooh...Love on the battlefield." Ruffnut said in sing-along voice.

"She could do better." Tuffnut cut her off, still trying to tease Astrid.

Astrid and I were struggling to free ourselves, but we were getting nowhere quickly.

"Let me...why don't you...?"

With a sudden burst of energy, she freed her legs and stood up, leaving her axe still embedded on my shield. Our eyes met for a split second and what I saw would haunt my nightmares for a long time.

Astrid's eyes were beautiful beyond measure, but those eyes did not belong to the close friend I once had. Those eyes, those eyes blazed with such a rage that if my father were to challenge her, she'd be arrested for regicide and treason. The friend I knew had kind and understanding eyes, not eyes that were screaming for blood, especially not mine.

She tried to remove her axe from my shield and failed, while the Nadder had freed itself from the pile of wood it was trapped in. Seeing the Nadder charging toward us, she pulled the whole thing out of my hand using my face as a place for her foot to make torque. Her boots made have been made of fur, but damned if they didn't hurt!

One mean swing later, my shield was in splinters, the Nadder retreated, likely to nurse her concussion. Geez, now I was using masculine and feminine pronouns on dragons. Gobber simply said "Well done, Astrid." from the stands. Astrid slowly turned to face me, who had curled into a ball.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you?" I stood to my feet, arms raised defensively. If looks could kill, I'd be in much better shape if a dragon killed me. With that in mind, I kept my sarcasm to myself, which was probably one of the smarter moves I made within that hour.

"Our parents' war is about to become ours." She said, trapping my neck in the bevel of her axe. "Figure out which side you're on." She finished, retracting her axe from my neck, harshly.

She didn't know that she had just given me the answer to a question that I kept asking myself from the moment that I let that Night Fury free. I stood up instantly and dusted myself. Then, without any emotion, I looked at her retreating back and walked out of the arena, keeping my back straight after a long time.

I was never a Viking; it was my mother's kindness that saved me from being thrown to the ocean and my father's stubbornness that prevented the villagers from killing me. But I was never a part of this village. That dragon that I took down refused to leave me and treated me with much more kindness in the last two days than the entire village has treated me in the last fifteen years. If I couldn't trust this place to have my back when times get hard, then I could no longer call this place my home. Not that they gave me much of a reason to, anyway.

When I looked around, I saw that I was halfway toward my cliff. I finished the rest of the journey and sat on my rock.

"My whole life, I was trying to help them, trying to fit in but no...It just always has to be their way, doesn't it?" Tears suddenly burned my eyes. I turned to the green color rock, as if it actually were my best friend.

"You were supposed to be my friend. Here I was, thinking that I might have offended you somehow, that's why you didn't like me anymore, but now I get it. You never wanted to be my friend, you never wanted my company, you only wanted to be friends with the future chief. I was a fool to trust my heart with you..."

I started crying, the silent tears that were barely enough to fill a pond had turned into a full blown river. I couldn't think anymore, I didn't want to think. I just wanted to cry fourteen long years of pain and sorrow out.

* * *

 _On the way to the village from dragon training_

 **Astrid POV**

How dare he walk away from us? How dare he just waste our time and leave without a word? How dare he not focus on today's lesson? I saw him once or twice talking with Gobber, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the surroundings. I remember him looking at me, as if he had discovered my true self. I've known for a long time that he always liked to look at me from afar and he would always have this stupid, clueless look on his face, as if I were the only thing he wanted to look at. This time, however...he looked sad, disappointed, and fearful. I don't know why the change made me even more incensed, but it did.

The whole gang was praising how graceful I was at the ring, except for the Twins; they were joking about the whole "Love on the battlefield" incident. Hiccup is getting out of control; someone needs to put him in his place, and soon.

"So what are you guys doing after the meals?" I asked. I mean, I already knew that they were free; the only one who had a job at our age was Hiccup.

"Nothing babe, but if you want to hang out with me-" Snotlout didn't get to finish because my fist made contact with his stomach.

"So I was thinking; where did Hiccup run off to?" They all looked at me and the smirk Ruffnut gave me made me uncomfortable.

"Oh, he's probably at the grass fields or on that cliff top with the boulders with those weird carvings."

We all looked at the Twins, awestruck. They could only count up to three, make stupid gambles, fight each other, and perform many other childish antics, so how on earth did they know where he might be? But the last place Ruffnut mentioned sounded a bit familiar. I just couldn't quite put the finger on it.

"How did you figure that out, I mean, this is a pretty big island; he could be anywhere?" Fishlegs asked. He seemed to be curious.

"Quite the contrary, my fine friend, he usually goes only to one of those two places." Tuffnut proudly stated earning an approving nod from his twin. Now this is really disturbing.

"Mind telling us how you know that?" I asked. Their untimely wisdom is sometimes really annoying.

"Why? We like to follow him a lot." Tuffnut said while shrugging.

"It's quite entreating to tie him to a tree and watch him do nothing for hours." Ruffnut replied.

"Moving on, he must come to the Mead Hall to lunch. We'll wait for him at the town square and-" I would've continued but Fishlegs cut me off. He looked really scared.

"Ehm, Astrid, I actually have some work do at my home that I forgot about earlier on, so-" Snotlout cut him off quickly.

"Oh no you don't, if my babe wants something, she gets it. You're staying." I rolled my eyes at Snotlout, despite my appreciating him cutting off Fishlegs' objection. He did have point. If I let Fishlegs go, he'd tell Gobber and we'd get busted.

"So, like I was saying, we'll wait in the town squire and..."

* * *

 **Hiccup POV**

I don't know how long I stayed there but one thing's for sure: My loyalties have been sorted out. I started walking towards the village as I'm getting hungry. I kept having this feeling something drastically tumultuous would happen to me, but I ignored it.

After eating, the first thing I'd do would be to destroy the sketches I made on my dragon killing machines. But I won't help the dragons raid the village either. I may not be accepted here, but I can't let them die. They might be heartless killers, but I know now that I'm not one of them. I even made up my mind to forgive all of them.

I just have to find a way to stop this war.

I might have to get a chisel and carve out something into a new rock, as now I'm sure that what we promised when we were just two innocently stupid children would never come true. Now that I have seen the truth behind that beautiful figure, I won't trust my heart with her anymore. It might be an exaggeration but I have seen more compassion from Toothless.

I was almost at the town square when I noticed the gang hanging out there. It was weird but what bothered me most is the smirk that Snotlout was giving me. That nagging feeling of imminent danger returned, but I kept walking, hoping that I was just overthinking stuff. I was almost at the stairs to the mead hall when Snotlout called out.

"Hey Useless, where you think you're going?"

"Oh, fantastic." I said under my breath.

"Actually, we were just talking about you." Snotlout said, a smug grin on his face.

"You were?"

"We were?" Piped in Tuffnut, earning an elbow to the gut by Ruffnut. "OW...oh yeah we were." Tuffnut rephrased. I couldn't help but tilt my head at Tuffnut's cluelessness. That feeling telling me that for my own sake, I shouldn't be in this area around these people, grew more and more urgent as time went on. Then Snotlout rolled his eyes at the twins and started speaking again.

"Yes, we were. We were just talking about who could knock you out with the least amount of punches."

"With the fastest quickset." Astrid corrected, venom lacing her voice as she rolled her axe from one hand to the other. I noticed that she had giving me a death glare the entire time. I wonder what I did to make her mad now. Didn't she yell merrily at me on the ring before?

Snotlout looked at her for a second, surprised. He just shrugged it off. "Yeah, that too. So who's going to start? I mean I could, but we all know I could knock him out with just one punch. That's no fun. So babe, why don't you go first?"

Astrid mimicked vomiting behind his back. I felt disappointed that she would do something so childish. "First of all, I'm not your 'babe.' Second of all, I don't think so. If I did, he'd be dead within two seconds." Her voice would always be sharp, kinda like daggers filling my ears.

Huh. Apparently pounding the old fishbone is Berk's newest sport. Wish Gobber had kept me in the know. Where was he, anyway?

"I think the Twins will give a good start. But no cheap shots". Ruffnut's grin fell and she gave the others a crying face. The others laughed.

"What, it's all in the spirit of good sportsmanship. He doesn't have much of a spirit to use, anyway." Astrid told with a smug face. They all laughed even louder.

"Speak for yourselves." I said quietly, and turned to head up the stairs. I said it rather quietly, hoping they'd miss it.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" she barked.

It was then I knew that Astrid had least heard it. But hey, I had already set my loyalties. What were they gonna do, kill me? As far as I'm concerned, they had my blessing. After all, I didn't belong in this damn village anyway. So I folded my arms in silent contempt.

"You know what Astrid, I think you're right. He will never need it so let's just..." Ruffnut started. That was when I knew I had to run.

Astrid started coming toward me swinging her axe. I dodged a few, turned around and made a break for the Mead Hall. Unfortunately, my new disdain for her made misjudge just how skilled she was with an axe as the blunt side of her weapon hit me in the skull, sending me face first to the ground. In retrospect, I probably should've listened to that nagging feeling of impending doom. Snotlout kicked me to turn to them. I felt my ribs cracking again. Then I heard Ruffnut yelling at Astrid, saying that she stole her plan or something. I looked at Fishlegs who was watching everything silently he seemed wanting to be any ware but here. His look told me that I won't be getting any help. So I just mouthed for him to run. He gave me a look that was worth probably a hundred apologies before taking off. I heard the others call for him but he was too far away. At least I spared someone innocent from bearing witness to this atrocity.

Then I find myself on my feet with Snotlout keeping me up. I stared defiantly at him. He wanted tears, but I had already cried enough. Besides, even if I were to beg for mercy, why would anyone grant me it? It was no big secret this whole village hated me. I wouldn't cry anymore tears for anyone about anything on this gods-forsaken rock. That was when Astrid started to speak up again. "Snotlout, you go first. I'll follow, and if he's still alive, then the Twins can finish him.

"No way, missy!" Tuffnut screamed.

"In your dreams!" his twin scrolled.

"Shut up, you two." Snotlout snapped. "You know Astrid, you are as smart as you are beautiful. Would you mind holding him for few seconds while I give my baby cuz a little gift?" He grinned.

Astrid placed her axe in its sheath with one hand and pulled my hair to keep me up with

"Not at all, 'Lout, not at all." Snotlout let me go and started cracking his knuckles.

"KILL!" The Twins yelled. That was when everything else started. I started to see stars and a sharp pain started running through my left jaw. Then he hit my eye next. Soon after, I felt my nose shatter. I didn't think it was possible for my nose to shatter anymore since he had been broken several times in the past, but at least they hurt a lot less each time. I felt Astrid's grip on my hair loosen and before I could blink, another blow came right on the head. I should've fallen, but I refused. As much as they would beat me, I wouldn't let them break me. Astrid scoffed as she let my hair go completely. I fell to a knee.

"I've got to hand it to ya, Useless. You've gotten tougher to break."

"That's because you've been doing it wrong. Step aside and take notes." I heard a heavy object drop on the ground, but why would she want to drop her axe? That's when I realized that she was going to use hands. I didn't know what made her so upset in the first place, but I do remember her hair trigger temper. When we were kids, if anyone did anything to me and I cried, she would always use her bare hands to defend me. I wanted to chuckle but my broken ribs prevented me from doing so. Ironic, isn't it? The hands of the person who protected me when we were young wanted my blood on her hands. I heard more knuckles cracking.

"Hold him up."

Snotlout unceremoniously grabbed my hair and lifted me up. Most of my body weight was on my feet, so it hurt much more this time around. The Twins started to count but they stopped abruptly after they said "one." That was when Astrid jumped me like a rabid wolverine. I don't recall how many blows I took but I was sure that she broke the thousands. She stopped abruptly and whispered in my ear.

"This is for the Zippleback you made me lose. You are an absolute eyesore. You should've been carried off with your mother. Maybe then, we wouldn't have to live with such a mistake. You had better pray that you die here, because if you somehow live through this, I'll kill you myself. Out of everyone else, I think I can say with a clear conscience that no one else, not even your father, hates you more than me, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III"

Then I felt a solid pain in my crotch. My inside, outsides, every part of my body was screaming in pain. As I tried to defend "them," I felt Snotlout hold my arms in an ironclad grip behind my back. I couldn't stop the pain. I couldn't stop her. I couldn't believe I still had enough determination to think about how much pain I was in.

"Damn, so that's how she feels about me. I didn't think she hated me enough to kill me. Well, that's it, then. If I do survive this, then I have to find out what's wrong with Toothless that he can't fly, fix it, leave Berk, and put an end to this war."

That was my last thought before it all went black.


	5. A new face

_At the town square._

 **Astrid POV**

I knew he had lost consciousness a long time ago, but I was too enraged to stop pummeling away at him. As violent as it was, as heinous as it was, as brutal as it was, I felt my anger slowly fade, as if every single satisfying blow washed me clean. I was about to kick him for the fifth time when suddenly, the gang ran off. Even Snotlout dropped him to the ground and ran as if his life depended on it. I was about to turn around and call them all cowards when something took me off Hiccup, suspending me in the air.

"What the..." I was about to turn around and clobber the idiot who thought he had any right to put his hands on me, but when I saw who it was, I clammed up immediately. It was Gobber, lifting me up with his hook arm. Any anger I had immediately left my body as I saw the expression on his face. He then threw me away like a burlap sack.

"I think that's more than enough Astrid." He said, grave anger clouding his voice. I followed him with my eyes. I didn't know what was wrong. I had claimed my vengeance and punished Hiccup for the crimes he committed against the village, against my family, against me, so…why did I feel unfulfilled? Then, I realized my answer. Something even more dangerous than my desire for vengeance had entered my heart…guilt and regret. It only shot through the roof when I saw just what we had done to Hiccup.

When I saw just what I had done to Hiccup.

He lay in a pool of his own blood. His face was black-red, from both bruises and blood, mostly from his nose from which, blood spilt like a river. I saw a split on his lower lip and both his eyes were swollen shut. His shoulder had dislocated and I saw his arm bending at an unnatural angle. Blood covered his leggings and the pool of blood reached past his legs.

I gasped and my hand came to my mouth unintentionally. I did this. My mind was racing at a million miles per second. I didn't know what to say, what to think, I was...frozen. I saw Gobber touching his neck, checking for a pulse.

"He might not make the night." He turned back to me. I could see disappointment, anger, and a small twinge of hate in his vision.

"You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you, Hofferson? Well, I hope you got everything you wanted out of this." A gurgling spasm cut him off. Hiccup's body jerked erratically, the blood from his nose must have seeped into his lungs! His mind must have been in a state similar to that of imminent drowning! Without a word, he grabbed Hiccup and started running towards Gothi's hut.

Only then, did I notice that I was in the center of circle of people who had come to see us savagely attack Hiccup. I didn't even know that they were watching us. I saw the gang looking at me from the crowd, all three of them with grins. Actually, everyone was looking at me with grins. Then some Viking patted my back.

"Well done, Astrid. You did this village a great favor."

I didn't see who it was but that was as much as I could bear. I couldn't stay around these people anymore. I ran towards the forest as fast as my legs would carry me and after I ran for a while, I felt a stinging on my hands. I looked at them and saw that I had split all the knuckles on both hands. I saw little droplets of blood on them and I became so sick; it took everything I had not to vomit, especially considering that most of that blood didn't belonged to me. After seeing my hands, a wave of pain hit me. My right leg started to hurt too. I couldn't run anymore. Therefore, I sat at the root of the nearest tree. My knuckles were slowly bleeding and without treatment, they would scar. That was when I began to cry.

"I deserve this." I sobbed pitifully.

I could not remember the last time I cried this much. Suddenly, it came at me like an arrow from a bow. The only time I had cried this much was during the funeral of Valka Haddock…Hiccup's mother. At the time, we were children and we hugged each other tightly, crying like babies.

What have I done?

We were friends back then. In fact, we were best friends. We had promised each other that we would stick to each other's side through thick and thin, no matter what anyone said about it. We would be there for each other because we were best friends.

Years' worth of memories regarding my friendship with Hiccup started resurfacing from the deep corners where they found shelter. The returns were neither gentle, nor soothing. Each happy memory pierced my heart slowly and painfully. I had tried to so hard to regain my family's honor that I forgot what honor actually meant.

True honor is to stand by the side of a friend when others despise him for no good reason. I knew this, so what excuse did I have to forget it? I trained so hard to bring honor back to my family name and I invested myself in my foolish quest so immensely that I let my desire for revenge obstruct my judgement! I beat my best friend to near death because of an accident that probably wasn't his fault!

How could I have been so blindingly STUPID?

How could I possibly redeem myself? Hiccup might not even make it through the night. I should never have hurt him. I should never have thought he was a prick, a runt, or useless. I attacked him like a savage because he accidently kept me from killing my first dragon. Who cares about that damn accident? I could easily kill another one and I probably will at the end of dragon training. How could one month of waiting mean more to me than the value of a friend?

I remember back when we were still kids, we would always play a game called "Save the Viking" with a few of the other heirs. Looking back now, it was rather so childish, but I could never forget how happy playing with him made me. Our smiling, naïve faces, blissfully ignorant of the war around us. I can't live without redeeming myself in Hiccup's eyes. I have to make it up to him. If he ever woke up, and because of me, it was a very strong "if"; I'd do everything I had to in order to be his best friend again. If he didn't want me as a friend, then I would gladly be his slave, as long as I can bring back what I threw away for so long.

I then remembered something Ruffnut said before we finalized my stupid plan. One of the two places he usually is at all hours; our-no. That was wrong. It wasn't ours anymore, as I've lost the right to call it ours. It's his clifftop. I stood up, disregarded the fact that I was still crying and started walking towards my destination. I didn't remember the way on my own, but thankfully, Hiccup made enough trips to leave solid tracks. After following the path for a while, I arrived at the cliff edge.

It broke my heart to see how much had changed.

My boulder was there, just the way I remembered it. However, when I saw it, it was more of a green bush of moss than a boulder. Forgotten by the owner, withered by time, just like the promise she made. I walked in front of it and reached to grab my axe to clear the moss of the rock. That's when I remembered I dropped it at the village square before I nearly killed Hiccup. Well, there you go, women and Vikings, vintage Astrid f***ing perfect Hofferson, right? Remembering it had my name carved to it, I started cleaning the moss with my fingers.

There it was. My name carved by his own handwriting. The work I did with my fingers made my cracked knuckles ache again. I now switched my attention to the other boulder.

I felt a sadness so strong I could not even express it.

The round boulder was no longer round when you looked at it from the front. Hiccup must have remodeled it into a stone chair. It was smoothly polished and looked very comfortable. He must have come here for the last ten years to mourn the loss of friendship I threw away for nothing and the broken promise I was too stupid to keep.

I hugged the comfortable looking boulder and began to cry again.

* * *

 _In the meantime,_

 _Somewhere, in the middle of the ocean…_

 **Camicazi POV**

Berk, my latest looting site, slowly came into view. One more item and my tribe, the Bog-Burglars, would initiate me as an adult. I had two of the three items that were required: A sword from a Roman and a cutlass from a toga wearing stink bomb.

I did not expect to be captured by and escape from Vikings, especially when my escape was conducted, using Alvin the Treacherous' ship. It looked nice and only one person needed to maneuver it. They never mentioned anything about not stealing anything that's unrelated to the quest. Hey, triple negative, but I'm a Bog, stealing is in my blood, if something caught my eye, then I had to steal it, y'know? It's who I was born to be, it's who I am.

Now the last thing I needed to do was steal something very valuable from a tribe we have peace with, hence my trip to Berk. I know just the thing to steal. Many may think that Hiccup is an easy target, but I know better. Just because he's thin, doesn't mean he doesn't have a huge brain. He's a worthy adversary.

We Bogs do not trust men, but I trust Hiccup. Well, up to some extent. Besides, it wasn't as if I was betraying the Bog code. He barely passes as a Viking boy. I was about two days away from Berk. The last time I went there, the villagers didn't seem to dislike Hiccup. It's a bit of a relief for me. With his head and a village noticing him, it will be very hard to kidnap him. However, luckily, it's not. Two more days and I will be an official adult. Hiccup was fun to have around, even though he was constantly drooling over that Astrid girl. His plans are the craziest and the most effective I have ever seen. They seem to work too, even if it doesn't involve one of his contraptions, despite the fact that they all went out with a bang.

* * *

 _Two days later, morning. Berk_

 **Gobber POV**

Two days have passed since Hiccup's savage beating, and he's still yet to awake. This really worried me. The village even had a party to celebrate. I can't remember if I had ever been so incensed before I saw what they had done to the poor boy. I had postponed dragon training until he had gotten well enough to stand on his own two feet and walk as far as a mile…without limping or help. In addition, I threatened that if anyone were to lay a hand on Hiccup again, I would put an end to dragon training altogether.

Fishlegs came to see Hiccup almost all the time. He was the one to tell me about what was happening and I dismissed to his house, not without thanking him, of course. When he came to see the state he was in, he even threatened to kill Astrid. He had never threatened to kill anyone before, so seeing Hiccup like that must have sent him through the roof. Astrid seemed like she heavily regretted what she did, but she still hasn't visited him. Not that I would have let her; she didn't deserve to see him, hear about him, or earn his forgiveness.

I saw her visit Gothi once or twice to hear about his condition. The old bat would give her very vague information and a glare full of disappointment, no matter how much she pleaded for more. The swelling on his eyes and face has gone down a bit, but he's almost fully black and blue in color. By Gothi's diagnostics, the Haddock line may very well end at Hiccup, but Stoick might not want to hear that part.

"Gobber, Gobber! Mulch wants me to tell you that Alvin's boat is approaching the docks!"

Perfect, now how are we supposed to defend our home? The damn Night Fury took out the catapults and almost all the battle-ready Vikings are on the hunt. We would have to make do.

"Gather the men, Bucket, and get them to come to the docks! I'll get the teens and big Bertha." I said to Bucket, but I forgot Bucket was...well, Bucket.

"Oh...I was going to sheer the sheep. They're all fluffy and soft." I almost face palmed.

"No Bucket, we don't cut their wool before winter, we do it after. Now gather the men, quickly!" He then scratched his bucket and started running toward the village. I saw Astrid hiding behind a house. "Astrid, get over here." She walked over to me, hesitantly.

"Alvin's attacking the village. We need every capable warrior armed at the docks. Now, get the teens, and hurry!" She was staring at me. She was clearly overwhelmed. "Well, don't just stand there! Go get them!" She sped off.

I ran fast as my good foot would carry me. After I reached the armory, I pushed Big Bertha to the docks. I held her dear to me, as I named her after my first love. When I arrived at the docks, the others were already there. It was true Alvin's private ship was sailing right toward the docks.

"Something's not right. The chance of Alvin attacking in brought day light is like Hiccup downing a Night Fury." Fishlegs said. I would have smacked him for his tactlessness, but he was right, something was amiss.

"Maybe it's a diversion." I said. "We'll wait until he docks. You lot go to the village and scout for outcasts." I pointed at three Vikings. Alvin always attacked from behind, and with perfect timing too. Most of the men are not here. The Chief is not here. However, he forgot something crucially important.

He'd still have to go through us to get in and as we are Vikings, we're a rather stubborn bunch.

* * *

 _At the dock's on berk._

 **Astrid POV**

We stood at the docks, waiting for Alvin to arrive. I have my axe in my hand, which serves as a constant reminder of how much of a nice person and good friend I actually was. When I retrieved this from the town square two days ago, magic hour had come. I lost track of time when I was in the forest. I picked my axe in near darkness and sheathed it.

I went to polish it before I slept, then I saw what happened to it.

The pool of blood had seeped into the axe. Dried blood coated half my weapon. I tried to remove the stain from the axe head, but I ended up giving the stains on the handle a polished finish. Now that the blood has soaked the axe handle, one side of the axe is brown and the other is black. Now I can never absolve myself of my sins towards Hiccup. The axe that my mother gave me would serve as a constant reminder of what I have done. At least Alvin was coming. I could lose myself in mindless battle and postpone my agony by fighting for my life. I waited as the ship slowly came in and watched the anchor fall. When the ship's plank landed on the dock, we took our battle stances.

We didn't expect to see who came out of the ship.

* * *

 _At the dock's on berk._

 **Camicazi POV**

"Ah, it's always good to see you Berk. I am bit disappointed by the size of your welcome party. Here I was thinking the whole village might come to welcome me, but instead I get you lot. Where are the others?" I asked smugly.

It's true, I was half expecting the whole village to draw swords and throw boulders at me while I was still on water. I'm glad it didn't happen. I still need this boat to show everyone back home what a wonderful Bog I am.

"Are you out of your mind?!" I heard an angry girly voice call out. I looked through the crowd and found that Astrid was the one questioning my sanity.

"What do you think? I'm a Bog."

Gobber walked to the edge of the plank to meet me.

"Eh, we all know that, but now to more important topics, what's the heir to the Bog-Burglars doing here on Alvin's boat?"

I got off the plank and started walking towards the village. Others have started to go to their usual work, somewhat disappointed that they didn't get the blood they wanted. I noticed something else; the village was practically empty. I was thinking the rest who were not at the docks must be in the village guarding the rear.

"Nothing much, I was captured by the outcasts when I was returning home from a voyage. I escaped them with ease. They should know by now that you can't keep a Bog under lock and key, especially someone like me."

"Ah, so the boat is a trophy I guess?"

"Yeah, it is. So where is Stoick? More importantly, where's Hiccup?" I asked out of curiosity. Besides, I have to make a plan to take Hiccup home.

"Stoick and most of the fighters went to take another crack at finding the nest." Gobber said. Mom always takes me on raids and hunts so I can learn about ruling the tribe. It is about time that he took him too, so I sighed, thinking that Hiccup had gone with him. Then I saw Gobber's face harden with anger. Something told me at that time that something horrible had happened here, and that one way or another, Hiccup was on the business end of it.

"As for Hiccup…wait, why are you so interested about Hiccup? Last time I checked, Bog burglars don't care about men unless they have something to gain from it?"

"Well, in my opinion, Hiccup barely passes as a boy. If not for his manly bits, I would be hard-pressed to call him a man. Now, stop dodging the question! I asked about him because he's the only one I know from around here."

"He's at Gothi's. He had an accident."

"Well, that's perfect!" I thought. "An injured Hiccup is easier to kidnap, after all."

"Cool, what kind of accident? Did he blow anything up? Can I see him? I can't wait to ask him where he went wrong." I know he doesn't know my true intentions. I am a Bog, so no men would know my thoughts. If I see him now, we can leave tonight and in about five days, I could get back home. The best thing about it: they could not follow me, as the village would lose a good part of its remaining defense. This was going to be an easier capture than I thought!

"Astrid." He said spitefully. That growing feeling was returning. "The 'Astrid' kind of accident." He clarified for me. He didn't show any emotion, but I could tell he was sad. After all, Astrid's temper wasn't something anyone trifled with and got away to tell the tale.

"Wow. It must've been bad, but hey, it's not like he's dying right?" I asked jokingly. When I saw Gobber's face contort in furious disgust, all jokes went out the window.

"He is dying, Camicazi. He was lucky to make the night; he's been unconscious for two days straight." Gobber snarled If Gobber was like that about Hiccup, then something really, really horrifying must have been done to him.

"Can I see him, please?" I asked, my voice losing its playful tone. He studied me for a while before giving me a nod.

"Follow me. Just don't go berserk when you see him." I was now genuinely concerned about Hiccup for two reasons. One, if he dies, I cannot steal him and two, I really did not want him to die. He may have been a toothpick, but there's literally no one who is more fun to play with than Hiccup. One time, he even helped me steal Stoick's undies by distracting him.

"No worries; I just need to have a chat and kill some time. I could also kill some time by looting the village now that no one's here, but I'd really like to see Hiccup first." He led the way and I followed. He shook his head and chuckled.

"He hasn't woken up yet. It's been two days and still there's no sign of him waking up."

Well, that did it. There would be no stealing Hiccup tonight or any other night in fact. After arriving at Gothi's he opened the door and went to talk to the elder. Finding Hiccup was not hard. He lay right beside the fire.

"According to Gothi, now that the fever's broken, it's up to him to wake up." Gobber said while I was walking to see him.

"I'll be going now; I have to go to the Mead Hall. I haven't eaten anything all day and I may have to eat leftovers and I don't get there quickly." with that, he left us. The old woman studied me a bit before shaking her head to both sides, indicating not to do something. How did she know what I came to Berk to do, anyway?

At any rate, being a Bog Burglar meant many things; you were up for danger, you lived for excitement, you had to go out of your way to achieve your mission. That kind of life can give you nerves of steel.

Therefore, when I saw Hiccup, my "nerves of steel" froze solid.

He looked like a mangled animal. His face looked like a blueberry, complete with the black and blue coloring. He had two black eyes with one arm hanging on a sling.

"Wow, she really did a number on you, didn't she?"

His clothes sat on a corner and the smell of rotten blood polluted the air near Hiccup's bed. After staying there for a while, thinking about what to steal next, I decided that for Hiccup's sake, stealing would have to wait.

Priorities first, I have to ask someone what happened to him. I bade Gothi goodbye and left her hut. After wandering around the village, stealing a few apples and a coin purse in the process, I found the twins and Snotlout. I was going to ask them where to find Fishlegs, but I decided to eavesdrop on them.

"So anyway, I'm the next chief. So what you have to do is bow down and kiss my pointy shoes." The Twins actually did, and I'm ashamed I was surprised. "There you go, yeah. When I do become chief, Astrid will be mine and next, Uncle Stoick will be banished." Snotlout's mouth always aggravated me. I decided to cut his "new chief" speech short by stepping out of the shadows.

"What's going on, guys? Have any of you seen Fishlegs?" I asked. Tuffnut leaped into air and got into my face.

"Oh no, you don't, missy. Bow down to our future chief." With one move, I unsheathed the new cutlasses from both hands and pointed one at Snotlout's neck and other at Tuffnut's neck.

"As the future of the Bog Burglars, would you like me to officially remove your heads or would you like to answer my question?"

"Okay, okay, geez. You didn't have to get all…violency on us." Tuffnut sighed.

"He went home after yelling at Astrid behind her back." Ruffnut said.

"Thank you, Ruffnut."

I sheathed my swords and stalked off to Fishlegs's house, smiling smugly as I heard the two muttonheads breathe loudly. In no time, I was there.

"Hey Fish, open up!" I shouted, knocking at the door. After the noise of some large objects falling, the door opened, revealing a large Viking teen with a boyish face. "Long time no see, huh, big guy?" I looked up at his face, though I don't mind if I'm not that tall.

"Cami! What a nice surprise!" He gave me a bear hug, lifting me off my feet.

"Swim back to your bowl, bad little Fish!" I said in a joking voice. He dropped me instantly.

"Sorry about that, just having a hard time these days. I'm really glad to see you." Just then, I remembered the question I needed to ask him. Seeing that, he gestured for me to come in I went in.

"So, I was wondering if you knew what happened to Hi-" Before I could continue, a surprisingly long string of colorful language, directed at some "she-beast," from Fishlegs' mouth cut me off. Well, that's two surprises in one day.

"Slow down big fella. Now start over."

"It's just...I never thought she would do something like that to Hiccup. Even if they aren't as close as they were when we were kids, there's being mad, and going berserk and Astrid went up and beyond berserk. She might as well leave Berk and join the berserkers. Hell, Oswald may even hook her with Dagur." Well, that is a nice thought. I wonder what their kids will look like. "I don't even know where to start." He said, lost in thought.

"Well, how about from the beginning?" I tried to help, and it worked.

We sat there, talking about and listening to what happened to him for two hours. When it was over, I had painted a vivid and disgusting picture, not only about the village of Berk, but about how they treated Hiccup as well. For every second that passed during our talk, I grew more and more disgusted about the village of Berk. One thing was certain, if Hiccup ran away and came to us, I would bend some rules and let him join our tribe. We Bog burglars might be most untrusting people in the entire archipelago, but within our tribe, we take care of every one of us, even the runts.


	6. Awakening

**Hiccup POV**

I felt like a prisoner on my own body. I couldn't move. I didn't know where I was…or who I was. I stayed in a black void for an eternity and then my body started to hurt. At first, it was like a bug bite, but as time passed, it intensified up to the point that I wanted to feel nothing at all than feel this. I was thirsty, unbelievably thirsty. Then a huge spike of pain entered my chest. It felt like someone ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and forced it back in. Thankfully, as quickly as the pain came, it went away. Now I remember everything. I'm Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, heir to and runt of Berk. I also remember Astrid brutalizing me. It was warm, despite the searing pain. I was either at my house or at Gothi's house. Well, Astrid could've just told me she hated me, but I guess she just really wanted to make it stick. I wonder if she remembered that we used to be friends. Bit by bit, my senses started to return to me. My face hurts. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't. They felt like they were sewn shut. My left arm and everything down to my crotch felt numb. Now the most prominent source of pain is from my stomach. It was as if I had been force-fed coals from the forge. I tried to open my eyes again but it yielded the same results as before.

"Water…" I tried to speak, but only a weak moaning sound came out.

"Hiccup, can you hear me?" A worried voice asked me. It sounded a lot like Gobber.

"Water…" I tried again but this time I manage to make something like 'waaaa-taaaaa'. Luckily, Gobber might have figured out what I want.

"Camicazi, get some water, he says he need water."

"On it, Gobber." a female voice answered. Cami was there. Why? Then I heard Gobber's prosthetic leg clicking, along with a few other footsteps. I also heard a scraping along the sand, it sounded like Gothi was there as well.

"How are you feeling? Here, let me help you up." I found myself lifted into a sitting position.

"Can't see..." I told him.

After some scribbling noises, I heard Gobber speak again. "Gothi says that this is normal. Your eyes are swollen and your eyelids might be glued together by dried... tea?" he finished doubtfully. I felt might have misinterpreted the sentence, again. A wicking noise and a loud "ouch" from Gobber confirmed my theory.

"Oh tears, not tea. Your scribbling is getting harder to read, but you hit as hard as ever." I figured he'd get another smack from the staff. A whack and grunt later, I was right again, but we weren't getting anywhere fast, I still needed water.

"I need water." That got Gobber's attention.

"Hiccup, Gothi says you shouldn't drink a lot of water, so take it easy." He gave me enough water to wet my lips. Then I noticed that I wasn't wearing pants, or anything for that matter.

"Gobber, why am I not wearing anything?" I asked him.

"Your clothes were ruined and Gothi told me not to cover you up so that she could treat your wounds." I guess that made sense. "Gothi wants to know how you're feeling, lad." He asked, helping me back to the bed.

"Well, I can't feel my legs and my left arm. Is that normal too?" I asked.

After some scribbling noises, Gobber spoke again. "She says that it's normal. It's because your nerves are overwhelmed and tired. Once you recover enough, they will turn to normal."

Well, at least I wasn't a cripple. I was about to ask if I could clean my eyes when Gobber put a wet cloth on my face. "Don't move. You need energy to get well. This cloth will make your eyes clean. Don't touch it, your eye lids are swollen shut; the last thing we need is you doing something to them."

"Gobber, can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Only one, then you need to rest."

"How long was I out?" I asked. If I was out for few hours, then Astrid might have cooled down enough to visit me. Then I could tell her I have no hard feelings towards her. To tell you the truth, I don't have any feeling towards her now, neither negative nor positive. She is just a random person in the village, like the rest, whose name I know.

"You were gone for two and a half days." He said, waiting for my reaction.

"Well, in that case, I should probably lie down." As I spoke, my head spun and I was out like a light.

* * *

 **Gobber POV**

Hiccup might have fainted. We didn't know for sure, as he was already on the bed. That boy has lived such a hard life. I noticed that Camicazi was unusually quiet. She usually talked as much as Hiccup.

"So, don't go on a rampage after Astrid with your swords." I told her, I was sure that she didn't hear that. After few seconds, she noticed me staring at her.

"What?" She asked me.

"I asked you, are you feeling fine?" I asked her, crossing my arm and hook in front of my chest.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. It's just that I never thought that he'd have muscles or scars on his fish bone of a body." Oh, that's why she was blushing. No one believed the lad had well defined muscles. I've gotten a look at 'em maybe once or twice in the forge when he took off his tunic due to the heat.

"Well then, are you coming or do you need a minute with Mr. Unconscious Muscles over there?" I asked her. We had our dinner before we came to see him. I just needed to arrange the guest hut for her. I already told Bucket and Mulch to do it, but, better to be safe than sorry.

"No, I'm done. Where are you going? You haven't shown where to sleep yet. Most importantly, how the hell did he get all those cool scars?" She asked me curiously.

"Some are from the forge and his stupid do-hickys. Most of them are from Snotlout and the Twins." I know that they bully him. It's like a public secret. Maybe he's up now and healing faster because of that. Enduring their abuse for as long as he did really boosted his recovery rate. Hiccup always seemed to recover from injury very fast. A cut today would be a normal scar in less than three days. A normal Viking would at least take five-six days to recover.

"No offense, but, don't you people stop it? Aren't you supposed to look out for him, considering he's heir to your tribe?" We've left Gothi's hut and began making our way to the guest huts.

"It's our way. One must learn the way to overcome it. That's the usual way but Stoick and I always tried to keep him safe." That, at least, was true. If Hiccup wasn't the heir, Stoick may granted blessings to the family that got rid of the boy, because there's no question he would be dead where he stood.

"Well, it's a possibility. If I was him, I would have ran away from Berk ages ago." There was no arguing there. Actually, I wouldn't have blamed Hiccup in the slightest if he woke up with thoughts of leaving. He endured it here for more than a few years, waiting for a girl to return his affections. Now that she's made it clear that she's not interested in a rather heart-touching way, would he still want to stay? After arriving at the guest hut, surprised that Bucket and Mulch actually did their job, I wished her good night and walked toward my house.

* * *

 **Camicazi POV**

I have known Hiccup for some time. Granted we see each other either once or twice a year. With that said the thought that someone like him could have any muscles never crossed my mind. I never thought he was hiding such a dragon under the tunic. However, back to the priorities, I needed to steal something anyway. I can't let my mission got to the wayside simply because I won't be snatching Hiccup due to his condition. If he felt well enough to talk tomorrow, I would ask him then. Until then, I'd have to dilute what I knew with a bunch of random items. Hiccup may have been clumsy and decided to act dumb when he wanted to, but he never missed a word. A quality my mom has tried repeatedly to train into me. I don't know if I was going soft, but seeing Hiccup in such a state as well as the muscles he had underneath, my view of him had changed drastically. I didn't have any supplies, so I just removed my clothes and went to bed in my underwear.

* * *

 **Astrid POV**

I was spying on Camicazi the whole day. Partly because I didn't trust her, and partly because she hung out at Gothi's place, the place I wanted to be. In fact, she hung out at Gothi's house a lot. When she finished talking to Fishlegs, I tailed her. I don't know what Fishlegs told her because I'll tell you this much; a slightly fake Camicazi entered that house. A truly fake Camicazi left that house. I didn't put it past Fishlegs to tell her about what I did to Hiccup. If he did, then that was just perfect. As the heir to the Bog-Burglars, she had the reputation of the second best thief in the archipelago.

She could steal anything she wanted but she wouldn't dare steal Hiccup. I wouldn't let her, especially considering that wistful look in her eyes she got when she left Gothi's house. She looked like she was deep in thought, perhaps a crush.

No. That was unacceptable. No matter what happened, Hiccup was mine and mine alone. My stupid quest for honor blinded me for ten years. Well now, they were clear as day and open to the sky. Now that I remember just how much Hiccup's friendship, actually Hiccup as a whole, means to me, I could not lose him. I did not want to lose him. Because of what I did, there was a good chance he didn't even want to be friends with me, and I don't blame him a bit. However, I would tell him that I had been an idiot all this time. For the past 10 years, I had been nothing but an arrogant, self-centered, stupid bitch. I just could not lose him because of what I did.

It's funny how life works. I had him. I had him this whole time. I had his affection. I had his attention. He was the only one who saw me, not as a trophy, but as a person, and what did I do? I teamed up with the Twins and Snotlout, Snotlout for Thor's sake, and proceeded to suggilate him. Now someone else wanted his affection who was more than willing to respond with her own and he would probably take it eagerly. The worst part about it was that it was not his fault, the Twins' fault, it wasn't Fishlegs' fault, and it wasn't even Snotlout's fault.

It. Was. All. My. Fault.

After following her to the guest hut, I peeped inside to see whether she gave me the slip. She was slipping out of her clothes. Well, it didn't look like she had any plans to revisit. So I returned to Gothi's hut as fast as I could to see Hiccup. For the past two nights, I looked inside the hut to see whether he was fine.

When I saw him tonight, I was pleasantly surprised.

Not only had he regained consciousness, but he could also move around, even if for a bit. Now I have two problems left. I don't have to deal with killing my best childhood friend, but I don't know how to ask for his forgiveness. The other problem: Cami could go into the hut whenever she wanted and spend time with him, strengthening their bond, while the most I could do was stay outside and watch. Not only did Gothi prevent me from going inside, I couldn't bring myself to go see him, either. The thought of Hiccup declaring his newfound hatred for me, screaming at me never to see him again, it tore me up inside.

Therefore, I waited there until I felt sleepy and quietly went home. I had hoped that if I ever had a chance to regain his friendship, I would run with it as fast as I possibly could and start hanging out with him again, just like I had ten years ago.

* * *

 _Next morning_

 **Hiccup POV**

I had been awake for quite a while, my thoughts clouding around my Night Fury friend, Toothless. I hadn't seen him for two days. Maybe he flew away because of my absence. Maybe he waited until I came with food and then left afterwards. I still couldn't move my legs, no matter how hard I tried. My shoulder was back in place, so that was a start. It still hurt when I moved around in the bed, too. Maybe the next time I ask Gobber about dragons, I'll inquire how long they can survive without food. Speaking of food, I had waited a while before I heard a door open. I opened my eyes to look at who was coming. I remembered hearing Cami's voice. I thought I was hearing things but evidentially, I was not. She was carrying something and when she saw me watching her, she grinned ear to ear, showing off her pearly whites.

"Well, this is a rare sight. A bog carrying me...is it breakfast?" I asked, returning her full smile with a gap toothed one. I pushed myself up to the sitting position. I was wearing my tunic and a pair of shorts as Gothi threw the other clothes out of my reach.

"It is. Gobber wants to skin you after you get well. He said that he wouldn't be doing your portion of work at the forge, even if you were bedridden. He also sent me here with this." She pointed at a bowl covered in cloth. I know that she's lying. He must be glad that I'm awake. He's the only one except my father who cares about me, maybe even more than him.

"No thanks, I'll pass. Last time I did that I was on the outhouse for a whole day!" I said jokingly. She may have been nuts, but she wasn't insane; she knew where to draw the line.

"How scathing, I would never do that to a toothpick like you. However, looking at you yesterday, I've quite a story to tell back home." She half laughed.

"CAMI!" I yelled, irritating my ribs. She laughed even louder. "Moving on, when did you get here? I wasn't expecting you before the thing."

It's true; I hadn't counted on her being here. She came closer to me and revealed the bowl she had dramatically which turned out to be oatmeal. She then kept the bowl in her hand close enough for me to take the spoon and eat from without putting the bowl on my lap. This Cami was very different from the Cami I knew and enjoyed. As nice as she was or could be, I didn't think she cared enough to help something in dire need. Perhaps extreme injury warranted mercy from the Bogs. Still, I was careful around her. She could steal anything. Good thing I didn't have anything important with me.

"Me either. I got captured by Outcasts when I was returning from a voyage to Rome." She spoke proudly while I ate. That struck me as odd, wasn't the route from the Bog islands and Rome pretty far from Outcast waters? She obviously came here for a reason; I just had to find out what she was after.

"Cool. Did you manage to loot anything from Rome? Any cool sights?" I took another spoonful in.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it; half a legion followed me after I stole those swords from a Roman commander." She was proud of her accomplishment; she didn't notice that she was giving me clues of what she wanted.

"Wow! How did you manage to escape the outcasts? It could help me out, should Alvin try and kidnap me again." I asked enthusiastically.

"Easy. I put out part of food I get on the pee bucket and let it brew for a few days. Then, when they came to check the smell, I faked sleeping on the corner with the few clothes I was wearing and a pillow."

"Gross. Smart, but gross. Couldn't you found a less disgusting way?" I asked her.

"I could have, but the prison was a tunnel and the rock was too hard to dig. So anyway, after they came, I snuck out of the room while stealing their keys on the way out. After I was out, I locked them in. They yelled for help and gathered guards to my cell. You can't really pose a challenge to a Bog-Burglar if you leave one in a cell with guard less doors. So, here I am, with Alvin's boat and a chest full of jewels. Even these clothes I stole from Alvin's room." She gestured to her cloths.

I really didn't want to imagine why women's clothes were in Alvin's quarters. Moving on, from the baggy clothes she was wearing, she stole swords from the Romans and escaped from the Outcasts. That was when I understood. She was trying to steal something from a tribe her tribe was at peace with. She had told me about the procedure long ago.

"Well Cami, I'm happy to announce that you are busted." I said proudly. Her face showed shock for a fraction of a second before she could hide it.

"What are you talking about?" She asked me.

"Let's face facts; in order to get to a get to a commander, you have to get to the center of the camp or sneak into his house. As you said, the Romans followed you. Therefore, you must have snuck into their camp. Even you wouldn't do it without a reason. Oh, and about the Outcasts, they never come towards the Bog islands; you women usually steal from them. One more thing, don't tell me you lost your way, I'm not dumb. I know that you can navigate the ocean with your eyes closed. So, tell me, what is you're after?" I asked smugly. I may be a fishbone, but I never said anything about being as dumb as a fish too.

I keep eating while she tried to figure out how to get out of it after few tries to say something but failing "You're the worst. You saw through my plan, now nothing I take from here is loot. That's just perfect." She pouted cutely, though I could tell she was upset. The last time I girl was upset with me, well, you know the rest. Therefore, I scooted backwards a bit and put some distance between us. She saw that and her expression softened a bit.

"Hey, don't be scared. I'm upset you saw through me but I'm not going to attack you or anything." I guess she knew about that. Well, she still had to steal something. It's the way of the Bogs, despite it being a real pain in the kisser to the rest of us.

"Why don't you steal something from the cutthroats? Like their ceremonial throat cutting dagger or something. I know that you are at peace with them. We only have a non-aggression pact against them." I tried to help her. I would do anything to keep her from looting me. After staring at me blankly for a while, her face started to lighten up with a smile.

"You know something? That's not as great as the one I wanted to steal before but your proposition sounds nice too." I smiled too. I placed the spoon inside the empty bowl.

"So, just between us, what's on this island that you had to go out of your way to try and steal it?" I asked. I still needed to know what I needed to hide, after all.

"Oh no, you don't. I won't steal it now, but someday, I'll steal it for sure now that my minds set on it." She winked at me with a knowing grin. Was there something I missed? We talked for a while, catching up. After all, it has been a long time since I was able to talk to a girl who wasn't annoyed by my presence.

When we shared a laugh, I could have sworn I heard the sound of retreating footsteps from the window. I just brushed it off. Why would anyone on Berk spy on us, or me? It's not as if they had nothing better to do, right?

* * *

 **Astrid POV**

I ran as fast as I could, as I couldn't take it anymore. I was right about her from the beginning. She was here to loot the village, just like I thought, and now that she can't, she's going to steal Hiccup!

"Well, you've really outdone yourself, haven't you, Astrid? One stupid mistake and you lose a spectacular friend." I thought to myself, only it wasn't just one stupid mistake, it was a giant tower of stupid mistakes, and it all came crashing down on my head.

The only thing I could do was pick up the pieces of our broken friendship and see where it went from there. With time, luck, and a large amount of patience, I could possibly reclaim myself as his best friend. As for anything further, it would require an act of Thor himself.

* * *

 **Fishlegs POV**

Around midday, after lunch Cami came to find me.

"Hey Fishlegs, are you doing anything right now?" It was an odd question, but I answered it anyway.

"Not right now, no. Why?" I asked her.

"I'm headed back towards Gothi's. I want to talk more with Hiccup now that he is awake. Want to come with?" I hesitated a bit before accepting. I needed his forgiveness, too. Therefore, I ran back and grabbed a basket of apples that was on the table and joined Cami again.

"I can't go to see him empty handed." She nodded understandingly.

We entered Gothi's hut without a moment's hesitation…well Camicazi did, anyway. I, on the other hand, was sweating like a yak in heat. I found out that he had indeed regained consciousness but I just couldn't bring myself to face him. We were friends when we were little. Granted, it wasn't anything strong like the one he had with Astrid, but it was a friendship nonetheless. I just drifted apart from him to join the popular kids and mostly not to be a target to hurtful words I was subject to just for being his friend. He was smart; he may very well have been the most brilliant Viking on the island. I could see it in his eyes, not only did he know why I left him, but he understood as well. How could someone like me ever be his friend?

"Hey, I'm back. Guess who came with me?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Fishlegs, right?" The small pause might mean that Cami confirmed that nonverbally.

"Oi, Fishlegs, come in. What are you waiting for, my dad to return and invite you in?" By Thor's grace, he didn't seem angry or betrayed. That was a start.

"Hey Hiccup. I came to see you. So, um…how're you feeling?" I asked timidly while placing the apples on the floor near the bed.

"Well, let's see. My shoulder hurts, I still can't feel my legs, I can wiggle my toes now but I can't feel them yet, other than that I'm feeling great." Great, make me feel worse, why don't you. I shook that thought aside as I went to my knees, preparing to beg him to forgive me.

"Hiccup I-" That was when he cut me off.

"It's ok, Fish. I don't mind. I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at anybody. If it makes you feel any better, I would have ran away too, if you were the one getting beaten by an angry Hofferson."

As better as his forgiveness made me feel, it also made me feel worse. He probably wouldn't have left me, he probably would have done everything he could to defend me. At least he had the backbone to stay, even if he made a break for the Mead Hall before. It took a real Viking to withstand such an aggravated attack, even if it was unprovoked. He's too good for any of us, even if he doesn't think himself so.

"I'm very sorry. I never thought that she-beast would do that to you." I said with genuine worry.

"You're not the only one. However, that is all in the past now. I'm holding nothing against her." I could hear him say something along lines of "nothing for her, either" before we both turned to Camicazi, who was rolling on the floor from the way I called Astrid a she-beast. "So you should come more often to visit. No need to bring that stuff though." He said, pointing to the apples.

"I would if I could, but this place is getting crowded with all these people, don't you need some space?" I asked. The last thing I wanted to do was burden him with my presence.

"Ah, it's nothing. As far as I have seen, four people are here with the inclusion of Gothi. Besides, Cami leaves tonight. She has some 'urgent' business to attend to back home." They exchanged winks; did they do something while Cami visited earlier?

"So Fishlegs, how are you doing?" He asked. I answered truthfully. I told him about the party to celebrate his death. He laughed until he could not breathe. He seemed to be taking the whole "Village-doesn't-need-you" thing excessively lightly. We talked until it started getting dark and Cami left to prepare for her departure. We've finished the apples I brought. I felt complete, knowing that I could talk to Hiccup like a friend again. I couldn't help but notice that all the while we talked he didn't bring up anything about his dragon killing machines.

* * *

 **A.N.**

 **Guest** ; thanks for the comment. Personally, she's not a witch. She just has a very short fuse and was caught up on that honor and stuff. Thanks again.

 **Supersandman86** ; thank you very much. The comment meant lot to me. Mostly because of the criticism, it helps me make my story better. I'll try my best to reduce mistakes in the future. It won't be 100% as I don't use English much on day-to-day life. But I'll try my best. Glad you like the plot.

 **Guest;** thanks for the comment. I'm not that evil to turn gobber and stoic against him. To me they both love him as a son (I know he's stoics son ;)) they don't show it much.

 **Eagledragon15;** thanks, now I know that I didn't mess the writing that much. I could tell you that this is hiccstrid but that might be a lie who knows? Remember hiccup do have a night fury "hint. Hint" Thanks for the comment again.

 **Glaxeyskyglim;** thank you very much. Im glad you like it. I won't quit this story. I'll continue this till my dying breath or till the story ends. Whatever comes first? Though, I don't think that this is that good.

 **Now that the emotional stuff is over for now, from next chapter the fun stuff starts. The 't' part still stands though as I like a little graphic violence ;p**

 **Feel free to tell me how I can improve this story.**


	7. Downed Dragon, Flying Boy

_One week later_

 **Hiccup POV**

The day I left Gothi's came rather quickly. If I wasn't injured, this would have been one of the best weeks here on Berk. Fishlegs came to see me every day with news about the village. No matter how many times I told him not to bring anything, my words always seemed to roll right out of his ears. Gobber has visited me a few times too. He was happy that I was recovering quickly. Frankly, Snotlout and twins are the ones who should get the credit for my fast recovery rate. Speaking about recovery, my shoulder is back to normal and so was my face. My face is still black from the healed bruise, but the only discomfort I had was from the dead skin of the peeling bruise. It was as if I was shedding my skin like some sort of snake...or a dragon, but dragons shed scales. Gobber told me earlier today that now that I'm up and about, dragon training would resume. He also told me that I should join the gang at the watchtower to have dinner. I told Gobber that I really wanted no part of dragon training and thankfully, he understood…after 3 days. He agreed to let me skip dragon training as long as I came to the arena to watch what happened with the others and to learn more than enough about dragons to protect myself. I agreed with the terms, but I didn't even need to go to the arena. All I needed was Toothless. What better way is there to learn about dragons than from a dragon? The other discomfort occurred whenever I went to the outhouse. On the first few days, my pee was a dark brownish color and it burned. Now that the color had returned to normal, it didn't hurt like before but it still hurt a bit.

I overheard Fishlegs talking with Gobber. They said that the Haddock line could very well end at me. Even before the accident, I knew that this wasn't a very light possibility, so it was not much of a shock to me. Gothi had told him that it was much better than what it should have been. Around midday, Gothi released me. Fishlegs was there to help me walk home even though I could walk perfectly fine on my own. After I got home, I was ready for something that I had planned from the moment I woke up. I needed to see Toothless, if he was still there. Oh yeah, I remembered to ask Gobber how long an average dragon could stay without food. Hey, I was still curious. He told me that a dragon the size of a Nadder could easily survive about two weeks without food.

It did make me curious; dragons raid our village two or three times a week sometimes. It's not like dragons store the food in storage houses, so where did all the food from their raids go? Anyway, back to the plan, first, I'd stay in my house for a little while, just in case the others want to ambush me again. I may have forgiven them but I'm not going to make myself available for another beating. Next, I'd run to the docks and grab a bucket of fish. I don't think a chord of fish will cut it this time, if he's still there that is. After about two hours, I found myself at the entrance of the cove. It took longer than usual; turns out what didn't kill me didn't make me stronger either.

I went in to the cove, half-expecting to find it empty, but I did not except to come face to face with an angry looking Night Fury, waiting for an unsuspecting Hiccup to enter. He bore his teeth and stared at with piercingly acidic green eyes. He extended halfway, making him look as deadly as his reputation warranted.

"Hey Toothless, remember me?" I asked while holding my hands up so that he could see them. As I removed my hand from the ropes that I used to wear the basket like a bag, the ropes started cutting into my skin, I had to make it quick. After my introduction, he started growling loudly while smoke started coming out of his nostrils. "Hey buddy. I'm really sorry I haven't been able to see you for a while, I got into some trouble. I brought you your favorite food, though."

I carefully removed the basket from my back without any sudden movements. I knew he'd wouldn't hurt me, but I didn't know how hungry he was. I felt like I would be better safe than sorry. I kicked the basket down, causing the contents to spill. I was still a few feet away from the entrance, so I took a step backwards. He looked at the fish and then at my face. He blinked once and the previously deadly slits turned into the round orbs that I loved.

"See, I got a lot of fish for you. I got some salmon, some Icelandic cod and a whole smoked eel." I said, gesturing to the fish. He then looked it the small pile of fish in front of him. After he saw the eel, he started growling as if he was afraid of it.

Toothless hates eels.

I picked up the eel and threw it away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy now. Yeah, I don't like eel much either." He dropped his defensively threatening behavior and gave me that infectious gummy smile before diving into the pile of fish. I walked towards the center of the cove now that its guardian was busy eating his fill. I watched Toothless inhale fish, a few dozen at a time. After he finished his meal, he then started walking towards me.

"What? Are you still hungry after eating that?" I asked mockingly. He walked closer to me and lifted his head till our eyes made contact. Then, he unleashed a very loud and smelly burp right onto my face. I seem to have made a friend who loves food. Then his eyes clouded with confusion and he started sniffing me.

"What is it, Toothless? You don't need to worry, no one's following us and I don't have any weapons." I said. I haven't brought anything as I remember that he don't like pointy things. Then he head butted my crotch. "Ow! Easy now, I'm not that well." After I said that, his eyes widened, as if he had discovered a grand secret. He then pinned me to the ground and started licking my face. His rough slimy tongue madly ran all over my face, covering me with dragon drool. While he was doing that, I tried to get him to stop.

That was the worst mistake I've made yet.

Believe me, I have done some pretty foolish things in my life, but what I did pretty much capped them all off. I opened my mouth to tell him to stop, but he obviously didn't hear me, so he just kept licking. My mouth took on a large amount of dragon saliva and because he wouldn't stop licking me, his tongue forced me to down it. Compared to that, raw fish tasted like ambrosia. That evil tongue tortured me for about ten minutes before he took mercy on me and let me go.

"Yuck! Bad Toothless, what were you thinking? I'm not a fish. Hasn't anybody tell you that your slobber tastes like rotting fish?" I scolded. That was when Toothless started giving me puppy eyes. He hasn't done this before. Who knew that he could do that and how am I going to scold him while he gives me that face?

"Well, don't do that again." I told him, my voice losing its forceful tone. I used my index finger too, hoping that he might take it seriously. But he found it interesting to follow my finger around than to listen to my voice. I walked to the lake to wash this thick slobber off my face. I closed my eyes and started to wash it desperately off me. That day, I learned that Night Fury saliva is water resistant. I couldn't wash it off. I opened my eyes and found a surprise waiting for me. When I looked at my face this morning, dark bruise marks and some peeling skin covered the majority of it. When I looked in the lake, the bruises had nearly completely vanished. While my face was still a bit more red than normal, it was totally fine.

"Were you treating my wounds?" I asked him. It seemed that he knew what he was doing and gave me a quick lick on the back of my head.

"TOOTHLESS! That doesn't wash out, alright?!"

* * *

 **Astrid POV**

Gobber told us that day that our dragon training would resume. We haven't trained for a whole week because of my egregious attack on my best friend. Speaking of which, I still haven't had an opportunity to apologize yet, but when he was sent home, that would be my chance. The dragon training took the whole morning. I faced a Zippleback, alone. Gobber divided us to teams of two, leaving me on my own, as Hiccup was still not feeling well enough to enter. Actually, I think he managed to let Gobber take him out of training altogether. No one could really blame him, especially not me.

I managed to knock it out after soaking the spark head with water. It was nothing, really. After training, I grabbed a quick lunch before hurrying to Hiccup's place to beg for his forgiveness.

"Hiccup, it's me, Astrid. Can we talk, please?" I asked while knocking on his door. I got nothing, but tried again.

"Hiccup, are you in there?"

I asked again but no reply came. So, I waited for him to arrive here or walk out of here. He's probably ignoring me, not that he has no good reason to. After some waiting, I saw him climbing up towards his house. However, he was carrying a huge sack. I stayed where I was and watched him enter. I wasn't hiding that well, but he seemed too deep in thought to pay any attention to his surroundings. He walked inside without a sound, leaving the door open. I peeped in to see why he needed the sack. He dropped the sack near the fire, added few logs to the flame, and disappeared up the stairs. After a few minutes, he came down with his arms full with papers and weird looking pieces of wood and metal. He then dropped all of it into the fire.

What was he doing?

He then poked the fire with the kindler, making sure that the stuff he was burning got burned well. Untying the knot on the sack, he started to burn what was in the sack too. While he was burning a rather large piece of parchment, I got a glimpse of just what he was burning.

It was scribbled in random stuff, I didn't I knew what the runes meant but I know what it was…His sketches on dragon killing stuff. He was burning them. I have seen people beat him to a pulp, while he tried to defend those silly pieces of parchment. Seeing this as my chance, I greeted him getting his attention.

"Hey, Hiccup. Is it alright if we talk for a bit, please?" I asked in my polite voice.

He flinched when he saw me, turned, grabbed the sack, and dumped all its contents into the fire rather than putting them in one by one. After he was sure about the fire consuming his plans, he turned towards me.

"Sure, Astrid. What's up?" he replied.

The sudden change in his dialogue unnerved me. Since when did he stop stuttering when he talked to me? It felt like I was speaking to Stoick during the Things. No emotion, just business.

"I wanted to talk…about what happened…that day…" I couldn't twist or spin this anyway to make it not seem like it was my fault. I promised myself I'd do everything to bring back our friendship and so help me, Thor, I'd do it. "Gods, Hiccup, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of what I said or did to you. I was nothing more than an arrogant, self-centered bitch." I was close to tears, but that blank stare he was giving me made me think he wasn't listening to me.

"Hiccup?" I asked, hoping for him to say or do something, anything, even give me the harshest slap he's ever given anyone would do, I just couldn't stand him being so stoic! He took a deep breath.

"Astrid, it's ok. You don't need to ask for forgiveness. Didn't Fishlegs already tell you? You already have it. There's no need to ask for it. I know about what happened that night. If anyone should be asking for forgiveness, it should be me. I'm very sorry about making you miss killing your first dragon. I really hope you place first in dragon training." That felt like an accepted apology to me. But it felt more like forgiveness given to a man who bumped to you on the way than something to a friend.

"No, don't worry about the dragon, Hiccup. I shouldn't have attacked you over something so petty. After all, I can always kill another dragon and hopefully, I'll get the chance at the end of training." I chuckled nervously, but the smile on his face made me a little more jubilant inside. He didn't hate me, thank Thor's infinite mercy.

"Astrid, I need to grab something from Gobber's, if you don't mind." He asked of me. This is a clear dismiss so I stepped aside from the door, allowing him to leave. He was already heading away when I remembered something else I needed to ask of him, so I called him back.

"Hiccup!" He turned around to face me. "I was hoping that, maybe, if you're up to it…we could be friends again?" I asked. He stayed there for few seconds and he gave me a small smile.

"We'll see, Astrid. We'll see." With that, he walked away. The way said it made me feel like that it would be a long time before he could consider me a friend again. I turned around and reentered his house to the sight of the fire eating his sketches merrily. One of the papers caught my attention. It was at the edge of the fire pit and the flames had completed its job, but only a quarter of the way. It was a drawing of the gang at Snoggletog. It might have been last year. We were all laughing on that picture; the Twins were fighting and me, Snotlout and Fishlegs were laughing at them. It was then that I noticed that this painting didn't have Hiccup's usual bench. The quarter of the picture that the flame devoured might have been him.

I pocketed the painting. I always thought that his drawings and crazy machines were his way of trying to be a Viking, a part of this village. He never was and judging by the large pile of ash in front of me, he realized that for himself. Great, I hammered it down for him that he didn't belong here.

* * *

 **Hiccup POV**

I gave Astrid the slip. I was in the middle of burning the stupid plans I had to help this rock and some unwanted drawings when she came. I didn't want her bothering me so I just gave her some simple forgiveness and said that I had to grab something from the forge. I didn't lie; I actually needed to get something.

I needed an eel skin.

Seeing that Toothless didn't like eel, it made me wonder. If I made a gauntlet out of leather and sewed some eel skin to it, I could give off the impression that I had an eel wrapped around my arm. Could it work? There was only one way to find out.

I spent the rest of the day making the gauntlet and sewing the eel skin to it. It proved non-difficult, just time consuming. Compared to that morning, I felt like I could go up against 100 Outcasts and win. Nevertheless, I did tell Gobber I would join him at the watchtower. He also told me that he would personally make sure the others; especially Astrid didn't lay so much as a finger on me. I really didn't feel like seeing anyone aside from Gobber, not even Fishlegs, but I definitely didn't feel like joining dragon training again. My mind kept returning to the glove's design and the thoughts of spending time with Toothless tomorrow while I walked there.

When I reached the tower, he was talking about how he lost his arm and leg. Being his apprentice, I remember hearing that tale many times. When Astrid and Fishlegs saw me, their faces lit up with happiness before being bogged down with guilt. I gave them each small smiles and made it a point to ignore the other three knuckleheads who were jeering at my presence.

"With one twist, he took my hand and swallowed it whole. Oh, nice of you to join the party. Chicken?" He asked after noticing me, extending the chicken on his meat-roasting attachment.

"No thanks, I'll take the fish. I know you're thinking now, and don't you dare, Gobber." I warned him before grabbing a fish on a stick, and pointing it towards the fire so that it was getting roasted. Gobber just gave me a cheekily innocent smile.

"I saw the look on his face... I was delicious. He must have passed the word, because it was a month before another one of them took my leg." This earned him a wow from the gang. I simply rolled my eyes.

"Isn't it weird to think your hand was inside a dragon? Like if your mind was still in control of it, you could killed the dragon from inside by crushing his heart, or something." I hope that someday I could tell Fishlegs that dragons are not what they seems like. There must be something more to them than simple bloodlust. Toothless acted more like a puppy or a cat than an actual dragon.

"I swear I'm so angry right now. I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop off legs of every dragon I fight, with my face." If Gobber's remaining ones are anything like the ones he lost, I was absolutely certain that beautiful would be an enormous exaggeration. But, I saw no use arguing with a subhuman egomaniac. I hoped that this would end soon. Since I met Toothless, hurting dragons was as disturbing as running into Snotlout at the outhouse.

"Mm-nm-nm. No. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon."

That was when Toothless' un-natural behavior finally made sense. He was trying to get out of the cove when I first found him. He didn't fly away when I first came near him because he couldn't. He stayed at the cove waiting for me because he couldn't fly or catch fish.

I did this. I was the one who downed that dragon.

I was the one crippled that dragon.

I wasn't paying any further attention to what Gobber was saying and as soon as the others looked away, I quickly left the watch tower. If only I could help him fly again. Maybe I could make him a prosthetic of some sort. Earlier, I was just going to back home, but I changed my plans and headed to the forge. I still have my sketch book from my old pile of cloths, along with Toothless' scales from earlier. I took some from the cove to make a necklace for Astrid, but I threw that plan out the window right after training with the Nadder.

There were some brown marks, but the book itself was relatively unharmed. I opened the page to my sketch of Toothless and redrew the tail fin I left out when I first drew him. After some walking down memory lane remembering how his tail fin worked I drew a sketch much like the one he actually has.

I stayed up all night making it and when I was done, I was proud of my work. It was the right size, as I usually am very good with free hand sketching. The leather was a very soft one. The only concern was that I'd end up weighing more than the actual thing. If this worked, then in time, I'd surely figure out some way to let him fly freely.

Morning came a bit slow than the other days. Other days, I barely had enough time to sleep but today when morning came, I was done with the tailfin and had finish drawing a few improvements I'm willing to make in my future models. I ran to the fish storage, grabbed the fish (sans the eels), ran to the forge with the fish, grabbed the artificial tail, and ran to the cove.

"Hey, Toothless. I brought breakfast. I hope…I hope you're hungry." I dropped the basket in front of him and kicked it down while continuing. "Ok, that's disgusting. We've got some salmon, some Icelandic cod and no eels this time. Help yourself." He was already walking towards the fish when he saw it, but when I said no eels, he dove right in. I brought a basket just in case he might not be as hungry as he was yesterday and may take it slow. It seems dragons have an endless pit in place of a stomach; he ate just like yesterday.

"That's it. That's it. Just stick with the good stuff and don't mind me. I'll just be back here, minding my own business" I walked towards the tail and he didn't seem to notice. So I put the tailfin down near his tail. He lifted his tail suddenly.

"It's ok." I told him while grabbing his tail and trying to keep it still. He was so interested in the fish I brought, his tail was going all over the place like a dog's whenever it's ready to play. I gave up trying to keep it still and sat on it. I removed the leather bindings and tied the buckle around his tail. After I was done with both buckles, I saw his remaining tailfin extend. I extended the artificial one. "That's not too bad. It works." I thought out loud.

Unfortunately, I hadn't anticipated Toothless taking off the very next second, but he did. I was almost thrown off the tail, but I held on for dear life.

"No, no, no, no, whoa!" He was flying straight and suddenly when he tried to make a turn, he started to stall. This was my chance, so I extended the tailfin. He saved us from the fall by flying up just before we crashed into the ground. It was a thrilling experience and the screams of fear gradually turned into joy. I was slipping on his tail but it was fun beyond measure. He then changed the position of his tail fin so I followed it. Now we are heading back to the cove from what I could see.

"Oh, my...! It's working!" We glided over the lake in the cove, our reflection flying with us in the crystal clear pond. Before then, I had never been so inundated with unbridled joy. "Yes, Yes! I did it!"

Toothless finally might have noticed I was there. Because he did a sharp turn and I was on the water before I could even blink. Now that no one was holding the tail open, he soon followed me to take a dip.

* * *

 _Two weeks later_

 **Hiccup POV** -cont'd

Today, they decided who deserved kill the Nightmare in front of the entire village. Astrid won it without a problem. The final recruits were Snotlout and Astrid. She took the cup and Snotlout got a broken arm, not by Astrid but by the Gronckle.

As for me, I was flying over Berk on a dragon. Why haven't I been shot at yet? Oh yeah, that's right. It was nighttime, that's why. In fact, this was my first night flight. Why have I waited this long? Well, many of my previous attempts fell apart midflight, but this was the first time we've flown this long without a problem.

The past two weeks literally flew away. It was a mess. Between hanging out with the Toothless and tweaking the flight gear, time just disappeared. I found out many other things about dragons, though completely by accident. I made a saddle so I could sit someplace other than the tail. I soon found out that I needed to secure myself to the saddle as I continuously fell off when Toothless made turns.

I found out about "dragon nip" as I call it, one time I used my foot to steer him. It turns out the long grass field I used to go is made of some sort of aroma that rendered Toothless to a whimpering puddle of bliss. I tried my findings on dragons at night. There were no guards at the arena as it was made to contain dragons. If 300 years isn't enough evidence, what is?

It turns out all dragons hate eels, where Dragon nip makes them act like Toothless, begging for a belly rub.

As I progressed, I made a peddle system to easily maneuver Toothless. I also added a small storage compartment to store an extra piece of leather in case the tailfin ripped which happened quite a lot and I had to walk with Toothless for half a day to get back to the cove. The whole thing was a life changing experience and I gained a few memories I'm afraid to remember and some that I couldn't forget, even if I tried.

To that end, let me take you back to the time when I lost my cheat sheet while Toothless and I were at least 4,000 feet in the air. We almost plummeted to our death but somehow we managed to fly through a maze of rocks and live. We did freefalling almost every day since.

Here's another one, when I was testing the peddle system, the wind picked up and we were blown off as the tether keeping Toothless grounded broke. One of the hooks bent, making my flight harness stuck to the saddle. I had to take Toothless to the edge of the village and then took the flight harness off. The hardest part was keeping Toothless there. It took a promise to deliver three full baskets of fish on my next visit.

Ever since I had recovered from her beating, Astrid would do her best to hang out with me, even if I didn't necessarily want her company. I had tried not to give her the time of day as I didn't feel anything for her anymore, but damned if she didn't make it difficult!

Speaking of Astrid she was following me like crazy. Sometimes I had to climb up a tree to drop her off my tail. Admit-ably she had a good reason. Ever since she gained the nickname "Astrid the Dragon Bane", she couldn't walk two feet without getting swarmed by her fan mob. I'll let you figure out who was leading.

I went to the forge to find a poker and a knife when Astrid cornered me.

 _**flashback**_

 _"Hiccup? Are you in there?" Astrid asked. I jumped out of my room and right into Gobber's as my room was covered with drawings of Toothless._

 _"A-Astrid…Hey…" I said while rubbing the back of my neck. I cursed myself for slipping up in front of her, not because I wanted to look confident, but because I might give her the impression that I was still the same Hiccup before dragon training, the same boy that was hopelessly in love with her._

 _"So…I haven't seen you in a while. Where've you been?" She asked in a conversational voice._

 _"Oh, you know… the forest taking sites and testing stuff, the usual, you know?" I told her. It wasn't a full truth but it technically didn't count as a lie, either._

 _"I do, but I actually went to the forest a few times. It's pretty hard to have time to yourself when the whole village is crowding you every minute of every day." She giggled nervously. She seemed to smile a lot more when I did. "I also went to the cliff top we used to hang out when we were young. Oddly enough, my rock had vanished."_

 _Oh no, not there. I had hoped to Thor that she wouldn't go there. One day I was sort of overwhelmed by the wonder of the Toothless, the Night Fury and overcome by my anger and frustration at Berk that I asked him to shoot everything I pointed at. I didn't shoot anything alive but I shot Astrid's rock to chips. It seemed like a good idea at the time because only Thor knew that Astrid would go back there one day. This conversation took up too much time and if I remembered correctly, dragons, especially Night Furies, weren't exactly endless pits of patience._

 _"Hey, Astrid? I don't want to make you feel unwelcome but I sort of have to finish fixing this steering system to a ship before midnight." I asked her, hoping she'd leave._

 _"Oh I don't mind I'll just stay here. You can work while we talk." She offered enthusiastically. See what I meant? Again, if this were 2 weeks ago, I probably would've stumbled all over myself trying to say yes, but not that time. That time was different._

 _"Sorry, Astrid, but I usually work alone. When someone's eying me, I sort of mess things up. I'm just…not used to company while working." I told her. That was almost all true. I felt comfortable and never missed up around Gobber._

 _"Oh…okay. I'll just leave you to your work then." Astrid said sadly and walked away. I felt like kicking myself at the sound of her dejected tone. As much as others hurt me, I never believed in getting even. As soon as Astrid was out of view, I ran back to Toothless with the tools._

 _**end flashback**_

We were flying peacefully, enjoying how nice Berk from up in the skies. Suddenly, Toothless turned sharply. I reflexively adjusted the tailfin to a new position to support his movement

"What is it, bud?" I asked. Admittedly, I hadn't seen this side of Toothless before. Then suddenly a horde of dragons flew past us, nearly knocking me off Toothless.

"Toothless, let's get out of here." He shook his in denial. Then I saw the items in the other dragons' claws: fish, sheep, yaks, even horses. They were hauling in their kill, so…where exactly did I feature? Last time I checked, dragons really don't need toothpicks. Maybe he needed to me something?

We flew for about two hours and entered a cave of some sort. Toothless then landed on a ledge. I looked around the cave, and boy, was it huge. I couldn't see the bottom as a red mist was covering what was beneath the surface bottom.

"What my dad wouldn't give to find this." I said to myself. Then the dragon horde came in, dropping what they caught in to the mist. Didn't they pass us? Maybe Toothless took a shortcut.

"Well, it's satisfying to know that all our food is being dumped down a hole." I was confused; weren't they hungry? Maybe that was their winter supply. I quickly brushed it aside. One of the main reasons Dad was so eager to find the nest this time around was because the big Freeze was closing in and no dragons would be able to raid us until it passed, so why exactly didn't they eat the food they took from us?

That was when a Gronckle flew over the mist, dropping a small little fish into the hole. Suddenly, I heard something terrible, some horrible sound that could've only come from the depths of Hel themselves. What came out of the red mist was death in the flesh. I hadn't seen anything like that in my entire life. I just saw the head close around the Gronckle before it descended.

"Let's get out of here, bud." I said to Toothless as one colossal eye looked right at us. "Now!" We just missed our death by inches as it lashed out to the place where we were hiding before taking a mouthful of rock instead of us. We flew out of that place as fast as we could.

"This is why you've been raiding us. It's all because of that leviathan, isn't it Toothless? You don't really want to raid us, don't you bud? That monster's been forcing you to bring back food for it and it wasn't satisfied, you'd be eaten instead!"

It's a good thing we never found out the nest before. If we had and tried to storm it, we would've been annihilated. But I knew how to get to the nest. I knew the cause of our misery. I knew what to do to put an end to this damn war!

I just needed to figure out how to do it.

* * *

 **A.N.**

I've decided to cave in. This will not be a hiccastrid story. This will be a hiccami one. But their love develops later on the story so currently nothing much.

 **EagleDragon15** ; Thanks for the review. Hope the a.n. helps you out.

 **GlaxeySkyGlim;** Thanks. Frankly there's room for improvement every ware.

 **Guest** ; Thanks for the review. Hope the a.n. help you out

 **Guest** ; Thank you. Glad that you like my story.


	8. Red Death I - Planning

**Hiccup POV**

After seeing the Red Death, I spent the next three days gathering as much information about the nest as I could. I drew a map of the exact location of the island, the interior of the island; I even studied the behaviors of the dragons. I think there are easily at least about a thousand dragons at this nest. I also noticed that there were no hatchlings on there. I saw very few eggs here and there. I made a mental note to find out about that later, but I had to keep my priorities in mind.

I also saw Dad's fleet returning. One of the ups of having a Night Fury is he could cover two days of sail in one hour, not counting the cloud currents. If there were any currents, then it would only up to 45 minutes. The only downside about the currents was the fact that they numbingly cold. I kid you not, I almost died, and we only stayed up there for a few minutes.

I needed to design something to wear. I added that to the post-battle to do list. In regards to Dad's fleet, in the next ten days, they would return to Berk. That meant I had about ten days to get ready to fight the Red Death. If I tried it after Dad and the other Vikings returned, it would be twice as hard to do it. I spent three days gathering information. That meant Dad would return home in a week.

The dragon island was more like a volcano with the Red Death in the center of it. There were five entry and exit points that I've found so far. Toothless showed me these entry points and exits. As far as I thought, we could make more paths if the battle stayed inside the nest. We had keep a good enough distance from the Red Death for it not to notice us. I wanted to delay the encounter with it for as long as possible.

The main entrance is the mouth of the volcano. Four tunnels connect it to the outside. One goes to some sea cave, while the others go to ground level. One tunnel, inundated with jagged rocks, caught my eye. The rocks were not rocks, but some sort of black crystal…Obsidian fragments from the last flood this volcano must have had.

The opening to the outside on that tunnel was thirty feet from the ground on the outside. When I looked from the inside, the exit was just a small crack on top of that huge tunnel. If I could make it a bit larger, I could lure the Red Death out of the nest. This is the only tunnel I think the Red Death would fit in. If we could get it outside, Toothless and I could either chase it away or revert to plan B.

I also found out about the mist. It was just volcanic gasses with a lot of water vapor. The volcano's heat was greater in the slalom of sea-stacks that surround the island. That's how I found out why so few of our ships return. Water carried a lot of weight. That meant less water, more bubbles at that place. Our ships almost sunk whenever they were overloaded.

I had finished diagnosing the surroundings of the Dragons' Den. The only thing left was to create something similar to dragon breath in a barrel or something so I could break that wall of rock. I could have used Toothless but he could only shoot up to six powerful shots, "plasma blasts" as I called them, twenty-four small shots called "fire shots" or a ten second long continuous fire breath called "burp." He usually used the last one as a bed warmer before sleeping. Well, our shot limit theory seemed off a bit. He seemed to have a constant amount of flammable stuff, but only he decided how much of it he would use. If I used them to lure it out, could we fight it?

It would put a good fight to save its three hundred year old empire, I knew that much.

One downside of battle planning was the heavy toll it took on us. Toothless only needed more fish, then he was right as rain. As for me, I had not gotten a wink of sleeping since discovering that behemoth and didn't see that inviting temptress coming my way any time soon. I scowled at myself in the mirror; my eyes carried bags and looked more bloodshot than any drunkard has looked. I spent the whole day in the forge, trying to design a way to crack that mountain open or analyzing what I gathered to improve my plan. At night, we flew around the nest gathering Intel and observing patterns. So yeah, there would be no rest for the weary.

I also realized something. Going after the Red Death may have been my destiny. Being the runt of the village helped me to think differently. I learned to look and wait rather than running into something head on. Time at the forge helped me to develop my skills in smiting. Though most of my inventions never worked, building them helped me to gather knowledge about building crazy stuff, which already turned out to be useful in building Toothless' tailfin. I just need to find out how to put a dragon fire in a barrel as I first thought. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not do it.

* * *

 **Gobber POV**

I was a bit worried. Hiccup was acting weird, well weirder. He usually spent the whole day wandering around or helping me. At night, he used the forge and did whatever crazy stuff he normally does. I could tell he hadn't slept in ages and the forge is colder than ice. What did he do all night? He did all sorts of crazy stuff now in the daytime. He spent more time on his room drawing something and talking to himself. It was about midday, and I hadn't seen him leave the forge the whole day.

"Hiccup, what are you doing?" I asked him.

"I'm doing some stuff. You know, dragon killing stuff" he replied, but the way he said it told me he was paying no attention to me.

"Hiccup, get out of there and grab lunch before I kick you out of here." I warned him. I was serious, if he didn't leave to get something to eat; I'd kick him out on the spot. The boy looked thinner, for Thor's sake, and I didn't think he could get thinner than normal!

"Ok, ok I'll get something to eat, don't look at anything while I'm gone." He did this every time he got out of the forge while I was here. He then quickly walked out of the forge and headed to the Mead Hall. Like the good, trustworthy mentor I was, I went to his room to look at what he was doing.

I have visited Hiccup's workroom before, but I have never seen this much mess. He had slathered his walls with maps of an island and some drawings of tunnels. What is he doing with barrels? When did he learn how to make them? I looked through the sketches and saw nothing out of order there. He must've been wasting his time, as usual. Now who, in his right mind, would waste time, trying to fill a barrel with air? Maybe, instead of beating sense into him, Astrid jammed his weird button.

* * *

 **Hiccup POV**

As much as I hated admitting it, Gobber was right. I needed food and sleep. After a snack and a 3-hour nap on the table, I finally went towards Gobber's shop.

Sleep did wonders to my brain. It's as if while I was sleeping, my mind worked overtime and solved the problem for me. That nap gave me a clear idea to how to crack that wall open. I was going to make barrel of dragon breath and after the nap, I had figured out how. I started madly drawing the design in my head to a paper. When I was done, it was almost night. Therefore, I just went through the things I have discovered, rather than doing something new. After it was dark enough, I took a last glance at my room and saw that there were no drawings of Toothless on the wall. I covered them up with paintings, drawings, and sketches. Even if Gobber peeked in, he wouldn't notice that there were drawings of a boy riding a dragon across the vast ocean. After Toothless finished eating, I played a bit of "Chasing the Dragon" to get Toothless into his saddle. He loved to play we both knew we were just having fun.

We went to the nest as usual and found dragons returning from their raids to feed the Red Death. This is the first time we arrived before they drop the food after I found about it for the first time. We kept our distance this time and like before, it ate the last dragon to arrive, A Monstrous Nightmare who was carrying a dolphin whole even before he dropped it to the pit. After that, like the last time, all the dragons started to fly away. It seems that whenever Red Death was out of its mist, they fled. This is a good finding. Even I died in the battle, if I managed to lure it out, dragons might flee, and leave our villages at peace, and the Red Death would die of hunger or find another place. After scouting, I returned home early and had one or two hours of sleep before more days to work.

The following morning, I started working on the "fire barrel" as I decided to call it. The first part was applying tree sap resin we use to seal boats to the inside. I applied it to the inside of the barrels. I did this to three newly made water barrels used on ships to take fresh water. I make three, as I need one to test, one to crack that wall, and one to chase it away from the red mist. As the resin needed to dry a day, I started to work on the pumping system. It was a modified version of the water sprayer I designed to the fire brigade when I was seven or eight. I designed it for two reasons that don't really have much meaning anymore. I built it so that Astrid would notice me, and so my dad would let me enter the fire brigade. It turned out that it was hard, even for a full-grown Viking to operate it. Therefore, to the dump it went, but now that I knew someone that was much stronger than a standard Viking, that wasn't a problem anymore. I adjusted the lever so that Toothless could operate it without a problem.

I reinforced everything with iron. He was a Night Fury so I'd be better safe than sorry. I had to re-make the metal pipes that I used to pressurize the water in the barrel as they had rusted and had some holes in them. I also added an iron ball about the size of my fist to a special designed joint so that gas wouldn't flow into the pump. I called it a "one-way valve." I made the lid of the barrel too. They have a metal-wood lid, which I can fix and secure using nails without puncturing the barrel. There was also a long tube coming out of the lid, which I would use to fill the barrel with gas and seal it. I couldn't hammer the metal tube shut so I used Gobber's old broken bench vise to squeeze the pipe shut. I also added a cone shape to the pump so that I could pour the gas in from a specific place. The pump I originally made did not have this so I had to design and fit it in from scratch. After a hard day's work, I had nearly finished everything. With that, my hunger and call to nature overtook me. After satisfying both needs, I went to the cove with a basket of fish to feed and hang around Toothless.

* * *

 **Astrid POV**

I kept watch over the docks. Someone has been stealing our fish. The usual suspects were caught a few times hiding near the docks, but we couldn't catch them with the fish. They seemed to become sneakier tenfold. Whenever we guarded the docks, they stole from the winter storage and vice versa. What were they doing with all those fish, anyway? Maybe they found some way to steal stuff and were doing it to mess with us, or stole just because they could. It wasn't much of a problem, but if we didn't apprehend them soon, it would be. I hadn't seen Hiccup in days. Gobber seemed to be worried of him too. I have seen him work for days without stopping before, not that I paid any attention then but this is a completely new level of bizarre. The more time I spent away from him, the more I noticed so many different things about him. However, the only thing I could do was wait. After all, I had my chance and I blew it all the way to Valhalla. Now I could only wait and see what he'd do in the future.

* * *

 **Hiccup POV**

After it was dark, I headed to the village on Toothless' back. I needed Toothless in the arena to help me so that the Zippleback would listen to me. Although all the dragons in the arena were friendly to me, none of them were as quite as friendly as Toothless. They listened to me, but if they were threatened or they felt that I was weak, I'd be ashes sooner than I could scream. I know that the Zippleback has an explosive gas rather than just pure fire. So all I needed to do was convince him to spew his gas to the barrel so that I could compress it. I also need to figure out how to train Toothless to push the pedal of the pump. I already changed the lever to a pedal like shape so that Toothless can operate the lever.

At first, I told Toothless to stay outside the village near the forest. He listened to me this time well and if I could be honest, he was the brother I never had. We've grown so close over the past few weeks. I then went to the docks to grab some fish; I needed two baskets, one for the Zippleback and one for Toothless. I could give the Zippleback one basket as I only needed the help of the gas head but I thought the other head wouldn't like it. They do have two brains, after all. I could carry two baskets at a time. Therefore, after I dropped off the first two, I went back to the docks to grab two more. I needed to keep Toothless happy too so; I decided to get two baskets as well. However, I saw Astrid walking down to the docks from the winter storage. I might have to cut off the last bucket of fish. I was careful not to steal from the place where Astrid was keeping watch, but I couldn't quite seize an opportunity since she kept good watch on both areas.

I couldn't wait until she went back to the hut. I snuck to the down side of the docks. As I helped Gobber design them when I was very young, I didn't remember much but I remembered enough. After jumping through the support beams near the freezing water, I reached the hatch we used to dump unwanted or rotten fish down to sea. I went in from there and then climbed back out with a basket of fish. It was very hard to balance on the beams while carrying a basket so I went first and then took the basket to the beam I was sitting. After considerable time, I came out of the underside of the dock and went to the arena. As soon as I dropped the fish, I went to Toothless and we flew back to the arena. He was bit upset with me for being late, but he liked fish more. So, he took me to the arena without any further hostility. After satisfying Toothless, I released the Zippleback.

"Hey there, remember me? I'm back." I told them/him/her. I was sure they remembered me as the spark head came closer to me for petting. I know all the dragons in the arena, even the Nightmare proved to be non-hostile, and he was the fiercest dragon Berk has ever caught.

"Guys, I got some work for you, I need you to spew your gas." I told them. The spark head was looking at me questionably, while the gas head was just watching the fish, ignoring me. "If you do it right, you'll get a basket of fish every day I visit." This got the attention of the gas head. He started slowly spilling gas and his rate was slowly increasing. I saw the spark head was about to spark the cloud of gas when I stopped him

"You can stop now! Do not spark it; I need the gas. I'm giving you fish so that you don't spark it." I told him. To my relief, he didn't spark the gas…for now at least.

I also trained Toothless with a plank of wood and a bucket turned upside down as the fulcrum with me sitting on it as weight, to use the pedal on the gas pump. It was fun for me, just sitting there ordering Toothless what to do. After a while, he got bored, lay down and idly pushed and released the pump with his front paw while not even looking at it. After about half a night, I know Toothless got it from the first try, and "Gas" and "Spark" eventually understood. I found out Gas could produce five minutes of a fast gas stream at a time and takes fifteen minutes for him to reload after his gas ran out. I also found out if you tell him to leak gas for about fifteen minutes, he then have a continuous gas breath. Feeling satisfied, I lead them to their cage with a good head scratch for each of the heads. Then I went to the cove after a nice night flight, taking in the nice sights and returned to sleep for few hours before dawn.

Five days had passed, and I had that same amount of time before Dad returned from his failed expedition. I walked to the forge and started it before Gobber even walked in through the door. The barrels had dried enough to fit the lid to them so I started with the one I finished first and applied the resin. After fixing the lids and applying a thin layer of resin to make sure the lids were sealed, I went to grab lunch. I never could tell how time flies when I work. When I came back to check the fittings of the barrels to the pump, I found that Gobber was studying the barrels I finished working on.

"Ehm, you know Gobber I don't like people mocking my stuff." I told him half-jokingly.

"I wasn't mocking them. I was checking them for places you messed up in" He said, giving a barrel an inspecting pat on the side.

"So master Gobber, is my work worthy of your time?" I asked him. I usually didn't like others looking into my work, but I needed all the help I could get. I wasn't going to get a second chance at this.

"It seems fine to me. I still don't know why you would need a barrel this strong, though. This thing would even survive the freeze with water in it."

That was all I need to hear. Usually the barrels we made split in the freeze if it contained water. Withstanding a freeze was the highest quality a barrel could get. I made some final changes like fixing the barrel and the pump to a cart so I can move it around. I fixed one barrel to the pump and forge welded the pipes from the pump and the barrel so no air could escape them. I fixed the vice near the barrel so when I crushed the pipe shut, I could still use the extra part from the pump to forge weld the next barrel. I had to do all the things heat related now and figure out how to do what I had to do without generating too much heat, as I didn't need to see Mom sooner than I would like. I also took the whole thing half way to the Kill Ring and hid it behind a pile of firewood just before the bridge to the Kill Ring.

I arrived at the Kill Ring with Toothless, "gas" and "spark." All of them being fed, Gas is now blowing gas until the pump is full with gas. I then gestured at Toothless to push the paddle. Gas filled the barrel at a steady rate. After about two hours, the lid sealing the barrel started to crank and I felt the nails get a little warm. This is the limit of this thing. The nails might be getting hot as the lid is being pushed so strongly by the gas, the nails would near there threshold. I gestured them to stop and I then started cranking the vice. After the pipe was a metal sheet in the middle. I lifted the barrel and bent the pipe at the flattened place, breaking the metal part free. Now I have one completed 'fire barrel' and couldn't wait to test it. After locking the Zippleback in his cage, I told Toothless to wait for me; I hid the pump exactly where I hid it before and returned to Toothless.

"Toothless, grab this barrel gently before we go, can you buddy?" I asked him as I rose to him. A small purr went through his body. We left the ring and only slowed down a bit to close the gate. We were at the sea stacks on the other side of the island. I lit a small torch and left it on a sea stack so Toothless knows where to shoot. After that, I left the barrel a bit far in the sea stacks, away from the torch.

"Hey Toothless, I need you to take a fire shot at this barrel as far as possible and then we'll go up. Could you do that?" I asked him. He slapped my face playfully with his ear flaps as if asking, "You're joking, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but just to be sure, you know I have no idea how big this would be." After that, I patted his head, gesturing him to fly. After flying for a while, he hovered over, shot a fire shot at the barrel, and flew up. I was looking back at the small fading light if the fire shot and I saw it brighten up a bit. Then nothing happened.

"Well now I know at least it doesn't -"

A huge dome of fire appeared out of nowhere, cutting me off. It blew us off our path and my ears started ringing the next moment. We were at least two hundred feet up in the air and I could see that the fireball was at least hundred feet large. It didn't die down but it kept getting bigger and darker in colour. Two seconds passed since I first saw the fireball, but it wasn't the bright yellow colour like the beginning, but a dark red. When it reached us, it was nothing more than a cloud of smoke, which is making it hard for us to breath. We flew away back to Berk, reveling in our accomplishment

Toothless' ungraceful landing informed me that his ears were ringing as well. I tried to say, "Well, it worked alright!" but nothing came out. I went home like a Berkian after Snoggletog. Now we have the plan, tools needed for the plan, and the guts to do it. I just had to make the rest of the fire barrels, and then the following day, the Red Death would fall!

* * *

 _The morning of Stoick's return…_

 **Hiccup POV** -cont'd

Morning couldn't have come any quicker. I was at Toothless' cove with some snacks and a water skin pack. I wrote three letters. One to Gobber, explaining what exactly happened and with detailed instructions how to reach Dragon Island. It also tells him not to tell my father if things go south and wait a day before panicking. Dad's letter contained that I went to prove my worth and I would be back as soon as I could. The last letter contained gratitude to a person who helped me figure out exactly where I stood on this whole war. I secured the precious cargo to Toothless' saddle rather than have Toothless carry it; it was hard for him to fly effortlessly while carrying something with his legs. In addition, it produced a risk. If he grabbed them too tightly, they would go off.

I didn't want to think about that.

I didn't do anything much yesterday. I finished my armbrace. I hung out with Fishlegs. He thought that I was still mad at him and I explained to him that I wasn't angry with him, or anyone, I was busier than a bee. I went to bed early after making sure the barrels in the cove were out of harm's way. After planning for ten days straight, I could finally end the war and bring peace to both dragons and Vikings. A life as insignificantly significant as mine is a small price to pay to put an end to a 300-year-old war, but I didn't want to die because if I did, Toothless would starve to death without me. He was definitely looking forward to ending the rule of the Red Death because every time I mentioned it, he jumped around in joy.

"Well Toothless…this is it. It's now…or never. After today, everything is going to change for you, for me, for Vikings and dragons everywhere…but no matter how this ends, I want you to know something…I love you, Toothless. No matter what, I want you to know that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

He gave off a mournful whimper and licked my face.

"Toothless! You KNOW that doesn't wash out! I don't want to fight that demon covered with your drool!" I wiped out the drool with my hand while listening to loud, draconic laughter. I rose atop Toothless. He took off and hovered over the cove for a few seconds before flying away. I took one last glance at our cove before we left. If I lived through this, I will surely come to the cove but as far the main village, well…

As far as I considered, my existence on Berk…is over.

* * *

 **A.N.**

This chapter is a bit loaded with tech stuff. I did it because I need to try to show how smart hiccup was and I totally wanted to give hiccup a chance at making a h-bomb. Sorry if I screwed this up. I imagined the water barrel being about 10 gallon.

 **supersandman86** ; thanks for the review. It's nice to know that you noticed the small details. Yup I had that night fury idea ever since hiccup made snot drip his tongue in toothless saliva. I could answer that too but it won't be the way you think for sure but I won't give spoilers. I tried my best on spellings and grammar.

 **ivanganev1992** ; thanks for the review. Most the stuff is answered on next chapter (7). You got the berserk Astrid part right. I have already told EagleDragon15 my explanation to doing stuff as they happened. I think I'll just add it below. Thanks again.

The thing is when a person waits for something he tends to search for a place to correct or so. Different people handle this differently but I pictured hiccup being an understanding one than an aggressive one. So when he found that the night fury was more compassionate towards him than her his views start to change. Also no matter how much a person tries to hide it there's a way a person responds to things based on his personality. I also took into consideration that hiccup was a smart person. When hiccup was at cross roads the nadder incident help him chose the path. And the beating closed the other path though temporary making it very less likely to have feelings towards her. In the movie only one incident happened so there's a way back. Here as I planted temporary blockades just long enough to clear his priorities. So that's the logic I used that as a logic to justify the not-hicastrid part. You may not have noticed that I tried to say that the turning point was the nadder incident due to my crappy writing.

 **MODdenial** ; thanks for the review. He leaves now ;) stoic will, when he gets back wont he?

 **Guest** ; thanks. Nice to know that someone likes the way I think

 **Guest** ; thanks for the review, I like hiccastrid too but still couldn't wrap my head around the fact she ignored him for 15 years and he yet accepts her without any hard feelings. Different people different views I don't mind about others views. Nice to know that till now, you liked the story.

 **.9279** ; thanks for the review, shell come after the battle. I'll continue this any way as I have almost written the whole story at some drooling time on school. But have to translate it to English.


	9. Red Death II - Battle

**Hiccup POV**

After flying for five and a half hours, we arrived at the dragon nest. It wasn't an unusual flight, considering that Toothless and I have revisited this place many times before. However, the gnawing feelings of anticipation and dread were new. Toothless had a few snacks while the flight. He shot plasma blasts at water and made it rain fish. He merrily ate the fish, not that I minded his eating habits. He needed his energy and his shots usually came back after an hour or so. After arriving, we rested for a while on the black ashen sandy beach. I ate the snacks I brought as lunch while leaning on Toothless.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, back on Berk…_

 **Gobber POV**

I went to the forge expecting Hiccup to be there, sharpening swords on the whet wheel since he didn't do anything around the shop that was worthwhile. I had intended to ask him to take a break from all the work he was doing and get out of bed, but after the incident with Astrid, I began thinking that he needed some time to himself. After yesterday, seeing he was finished of whatever he was building, I went to talk to him.

 _**flashback**_

 _Hiccup was polishing a armbrace that looked too ornate for a boy. "So Hiccup, finished with your project?" I asked him._

 _"That's right, Gobber. It works like a charm." He announced proud of his creation._

 _"So it actually works? May I see it?" I asked curiously. He made many things but he never said anything worked like a charm. I needed to see whether he had created something that would end up destroying the village._

 _"Maybe later, I don't like it right now." he said jokingly. Every time I ask him to show me something, he wouldn't let me see it, like his doodling of Astrid I found a while ago._

 _"Oh, then in the meantime, would you mind returning to your job and finishing the pile of weapons that you should have sharpened?" I asked him. It was the truth; the pile was almost as tall as I was._

 _"Well, about that I think I'll start that tomorrow if it's ok with you?" He asked me while rubbing his neck._

 _"Ok, but you start on them first thing tomorrow, agreed?" I said while crossing my arm-hammer on my chest…well, hook and the arm. He then did something that he didn't normally do. He gave me a hug._

 _"Thanks Gobber. You don't know how much this means to me" and with that he went out of the shop._

 _When I looked around the room, I stood shocked. The walls were bare without any drawings or designs. I only saw his old journals piled up on the corner. Something was definitely weird. He never ever cleaned his workspace. It was usually a dragon-sized mess._

 _**end flashback**_

After entering the forge, I walked to Hiccup's room, calling for him.

"Hiccup, are you skipping work? You know those swords aren't going to sharpen themselves."

I was expecting for the usual reply: "If they did, you'd be out of business." However, I got nothing. His room was like the way I last saw it. That meant he hadn't been here since last night. Something caught my eye. It was the only piece of parchment on his table and it was under the armbrace.

It was a letter, addressed to me.

 _Dear Gobber,_

 _I know you'll be mad at me. I know it and I'm sorry. I am leaving this letter with you because I trust you._

 _I found the dragon nest. This is not a lie and I want you to believe me. If you'd like to know how I found it, remember that last raid I said I took down a Night Fury. Well, I actually did and... I befriended it._

 _I know it's hard to believe but I actually did it. Now the important thing is that I actually found out the reason for the 300-year-old war and it's not the dragons' fault. I went to the nest; Toothless (my Night-Fury) took me there. At the nest, there is a huge dragon. I only saw its head and it's like the size of the Kill Ring so you take a guess at how big it actually is. The reason why the dragons raid us is to feed that demon and if they didn't bring back enough, it would eat them instead._

 _I'm either going to chase that thing away or kill it. I might not return but I know that I should do this for the village. I want you to wait two days before coming after me. I know it takes 12-13 days to get here so waiting two days will give me a chance to get back home if I survive. I know why our ships sink around the nest, it's because they're usually too heavy. Take a few freshwater ships along with the main ships and only enter the nest with the fresh water ships. I have attached a map of the nest's location, as well as the maze of sea stacks. There are instructions concerning how you can travel through them. I also have a drawing of Toothless on the next paper. I know you have never seen a Night Fury so I thought you might like to know how one looks._

 _Gobber, you were like a father to me. You and I both know that my dad would never understand that what I did, I did it to benefit the village and the dragons are not violent, bloodthirsty monsters, they are intelligent, gentle creatures. I wrote him a letter saying that I went to prove my worth and I'd be back in two or three days. If I get back, then please don't tell him that. If I don't, try to convince him dragons are not the savage beasts that we think they are. Bring him to the nest to prove I was right. However, do not bring the whole fleet because if I fail and you try to take it down, that mountain of a dragon will annihilate you all. If I succeed, then you will see that dragons are not the beasts we think they are. If it means anything, all my findings about the nest are under the pile of my old journals._

 _Farewell till we meet again,_

 _-Hiccup_

I stared blankly at the letter for what felt like forever. He actually took down a Night Fury, and befriended it? I couldn't believe it. This was probably another one of his stupid plans. However, he isn't the Thorston twins; he wouldn't do things like that. I quickly turned the next page and saw a map how to navigate the maze and the picture of a playful dragon.

I needed to find him and quickly. I walked as fast as I could to the Mead Hall to gather the men to search the island.

* * *

 _Back at the Dragon's nest…_

 **Hiccup POV**

It was around midday and I had just finished my last meal. I stood up while dusting the sand off myself. I looked at the volcano. 300 years of bloodshed, violence, loss, and pain…and the reason for all of it was in this giant rock formation. This was it. No matter what happened to me, this war would end and it would end here.

"Ok Toothless. The time has come."

He replied with a low rumble from his throat. I checked my knife for one last time; I kept it with me all the time after the incident where my flight harness fixed itself to the saddle. Toothless didn't mind wearing it now that we have earned each other's trust. Such loyalty astounded me to no end, and to think a month ago, I was so eager to kill this "mindless beast." I also checked the fire barrels and mounted Toothless. We flew to the mouth of the volcano. After seeing the fire barrel in action once, I didn't want to unleash it upon a whole nest of dragons.

The bystanders would not die, as they have lost enough to this war already.

"Toothless, can you signal them to flee the nest for a while?" He took a backward glance at me, his eyes turned to slits, I felt his chest inhaling with a huge breath, and he let out a roar.

I hadn't ever heard a dragon roar like that before; it was like an order given by dad to the village. It was a cry demanding their retreat and submission, which didn't contain a hint of fear or doubt, just pure courage. I didn't blame the dragons of the nest for fleeing as soon as possible.

"Toothless, prepare yourself." I told him, cutting the rope securing the barrel to the saddle. It fell down, shifting all around the shaft of the volcano.

"Toothless, "fire shot," then let's get out of range." I didn't need to tell Toothless twice. As soon as he shot it, we went up. We were almost near the cloud currents when the blindingly yellow dome appeared from the top of the volcano. I thought that was it. It seemed simple. An unforeseen bomb dropped on the head with enough gas to blow up the Kill Ring seemed promising.

"Well, that was easy, wasn't it, bud?" He shook his head in denial and soon I knew why. An ear-splitting roar pierced the sky. Okay, so it wasn't that easy…but at least he'd still have some serious burns.

"Let's go down Toothless." Toothless started to descend quickly. We were about to plant the second barrel at the tunnel entrance to lure it away, but the Red Death didn't need us to persuade it to come out, after all. We managed to get some distance between it and us before it came out. The whole tunnel along with the side of the volcano cracked.

I had never seen anything like what my eyes saw.

Its head was the scariest thing my eyes had seen, and I had stared an angry Astrid in the face. However, Astrid's anger paled in comparison to what I saw. It had a huge head with a crown like thing, as if it was rightful ruler of the dragons from the birth. It had three lines of spikes running through its backbone from the head to the bludgeon like tail with each spike easily surpassing six or seven feet. I stared at a living armory. Its wings were folded in a similar way to that of Toothless. I could not find a way to describe the amount of muscles I saw fused with the tough armor of scales. Speaking of the armored skin, it looked like the fire barrel was ineffective. I thought that some burns would show but I saw nothing.

"Man, I wish Fishlegs was here." I talked to myself more than to Toothless.

However, I really wished that he were here. I remembered at the first day of dragon training he was spilling information about dragons like mead in a cracked barrel. I didn't have time to continue thinking as it soon found the black blur circling it. It then stood up from its hind legs and snapped at a place that we were flying in a few seconds before. On the upside, it couldn't outfly a Night Fury, he was too bulky to take sharp turns or fly at high speeds.

That was when I had my first idea. If he couldn't make sharp turns, he couldn't navigate the sea stacks surrounding the island. Admittedly, if the fire barrel did nothing, then sea stacks wouldn't do much damage, but it would definitely make it mad. Mad beasts do stupid things. First, I have to get it to follow me.

"This demon has wings, bud. Let's find out if it can fly!" I said to Toothless and he immediately started gaining altitude. He then performed his signature move. He went into a dive and released a plasma blast just before pulling out of the dive. It was powerful enough to knock it down to all fours. We stayed at a distance enough for it to get to us but long enough for us to flee when it jumped at us. Getting frustrated, it started to unleash an inferno. A continuous breath of fire like a river following consuming the whole beach and it seemed to have an unlimited supply of it.

"This isn't working, let's get somewhere he can't follow us." That fire worried me for two reasons: One, the tailfin was made of leather. It may have been strong, but it was not fireproof. Two, I had only a few hours' worth of Zippleback gas strapped to the saddle. I couldn't just drop it anywhere.

Toothless flew just in front of the Red Death's mouth after it stopped breathing fire. I think it worked, because it spread its gigantic wings and then with a huge flap, it was in the air. After it had arisen, it started following us. Toothless and I decided to show it what true speed really was. Unluckily for us, it was faster than I expected it to be.

"Huh. It can fly…and fast, too."

* * *

 _Back on Berk…_

 **Astrid POV**

I was returning home from the forest with two tracks of tears flowing on both sides of my face. Earlier, I went to train in the forest to my usual spot as always and after a few drills, I started to practice my axe throwing. I threw my axe few times and moved on to the next tree. However, this tree I threw my axe at was already marked with a target. I walked to the tree and pulled my axe out. The piece of paper cut in half by my axe fell to the ground. I dropped my axe near the tree and looked at the paper. One part was empty. What the other part contained ripped my heart in two.

It was a short note, addressed to me.

 _Astrid_

 _I can never thank you enough for what you've done. Because of you, I figured out the meaning of my life, my worth, and my destiny. I chose a side, just like you asked and I'm sorry…but you're not on that side._

 _Farewell until we meet again,_

 _-Hiccup_

I ran as fast as I could to my house with that piece of paper clenched in one hand and my two-faced axe in its sheath. Why would he think there was another side? Why would he think there was another way? There was only one way, the Viking way, or, in generalization, the human way. Just because he wasn't a Viking, that didn't mean he wasn't human. I refused to care about what anyone thought of it. He was my friend again for the first time in forever and I wouldn't let any amount of honor, not even the death of a Night Fury, take that away ever again. On the other hand, maybe, he was referring to me as non-human. It didn't make sense; he had forgiven me, right? I needed to talk to him. Therefore, I changed my destination from my house and went to the forge. He needed to be here, if not, where else would he be?

"Hiccup, where are you." I asked while entering the shop. He wasn't there…maybe the back room.

He wasn't there either. When I entered this room, I was shocked at how clean it was. Last time I checked, it was a pigsty, but when I walked in, it was cleaner than mine was, and I kept a neat room. I remembered some more memories from our childhood, his table was a mess, but he kept everything else clean. I thought he'd mess up the place he worked in, but once again, I was wrong. I noticed something on the table. It was an armbrace, but not a usual iron one; it was a leather one, covered with an eel skin. It looked like an eel wrapped itself around the arm. This looks like something someone would give to a special woman on his or her mind.

Then it clicked to me, maybe he was starting to like Camicazi.

I couldn't accept that. I wouldn't accept Hiccup making gifts with his bare hands for someone other than me, especially since I had looked long enough to see exactly what a gentle soul Hiccup truly was. Therefore, I took it and put it on my arm. I didn't have anything from him that he gave to me as a gift. Then again, anything he gave me I simply threw away. I would protect this with my life, because I felt like this was all I would ever have of him.

I needed to find out where he was, and who knew more about Hiccup than Gobber? Therefore, I started walking towards the Mead Hall as I saw many people gathering there. This note needed some serious explaining.

* * *

 _Back at the Dragon's nest…_

 **Hiccup POV**

We were flying as fast as we could through the maze, avoiding the sea stacks. The Red Death didn't mind the sea stacks, it just flew through them, knocking them to pieces and kept flying after us. It was its short path and slow speed vs our fast speed and long path and we stayed even during the chase.

"Alright bud, let's vanish" I told Toothless and clicked the paddle. Toothless flew straight up to the clouds and the Red Death was hot on our tail.

Now Toothless was on his home turf. He ruled this domain. The Red Death may have conquered the land but in the skies, he was an intruder. Toothless vanished into a cloud, doing something weird. He was giving an almost inaudible scream and seemed to know where the beast was. Suddenly, I remembered something.

"It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon."

Thank Thor for Gobber. We had to take out its wings!

"Try aiming for the wings, Toothless!" He purred approvingly before turning sharply, and out of nowhere, the Red Death appeared right in front of us. Toothless unleashed a plasma blast. I saw the plasma blast tear through the leather of the wing, progress. We continued this maneuver and we were about to unleash one more when suddenly, the Red Death unleashed its fire breath again. This time, it was randomly spraying fire all over the place, as it couldn't see us. We went through one stream of fire. It singed my hair a bit but my brows were almost all gone. I managed to put it out. The good news was that the fire barrel hadn't caught fire, but the bad news?

The Red Death's fire incinerated Toothless' tailfin. At that point, it was all or nothing.

"Times up buddy, let's finish this!"

He roared in approval and flew in front of it. It took the bait and followed us down. I remembered Toothless beat a Terror once by sending fire in its mouth, detonating the gas before it could spark. That's how I was going to defeat this demon. We entered a controlled freefall and I could feel the Red Death inhaling, preparing to torch us. I cut the rope of the fire barrel.

"Hold it, Toothless…steady…"

I waited until he had exited the clouds. It was time.

"NOW, TOOTHLESS!"

He turned mid fall and shot a plasma blast into the open mouth. I saw the monster's mouth ignite; it was like a lantern fire. I threw the fire barrel into the flaming maw, as I knew if the gas had enough air to explode, well, I'll let you figure out that one. The Red Death panicked at this and extended its wings. Unfortunately, for it, its damaged wings tore into shreds as the beast tried desperately to slow down. I clicked the paddle to fly up but as nothing happened. I looked back and saw the tail fin, or rather, the lack of one.

"Toothless, the tailfin's gone, glide along the beach!" I told Toothless and he spread his wings and started flying parallel to the ground. I looked back and saw the Red Death hitting the ground and it blew up to pieces. A huge fireball consumed it. Unfortunately, the shock-wave from the explosion knocked me off the saddle I fell. It was about ten feet but I felt sharp pain all over my body as I fell into the flames below. The last thing I heard was Toothless scream in pain.

* * *

 _On Berk, at the same time…_

 **Gobber POV**

Evening came and we still hadn't found Hiccup. The villagers threw another party as this time, they were certain that we would never see Hiccup again. I couldn't bear to watch, so I came to the docks to see if Stoick and the fleet had returned. We spotted the return ships around midday. They were only a few hours away and I really didn't feel like doing much, so imagine how annoyed I was when I interrupted a fight.

"YOU DAMN WITCH! HE'S GONE AND IT'S YOUR ENTIRE FAULT!" A male was yelling at the top of his voice.

"REALLY? TELL ME, FISHLEGS, CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT KNOWING THAT YOU DITCHED YOUR FRIEND JUST TO SAVE YOUR OWN DAMN NECK?!" A female replied with equal ferocity. I walked closer and I found Astrid and Fishlegs with weapons drawn ready to strike other down.

"I was his friend, yes. I did ditch him, yes! I CANNOT SLEEP KNOWING THAT HE'S SUFFERED FOR SO LONG BECAUSE OF ME, YES, but hey, at least I didn't beat him to near death. You were his best friend, for Thor's sake! Oh wait, I'm wrong. You never wanted to be his friend. You just wanted to be close to the future chief, YOU UNFORGIVABLE HYPOCRITE!" Fish yelled back. I could see steam rising out of Astrid's ears. I had already dealt with one poor recipient of Astrid's rage, and he didn't even deserve it. I didn't want to deal with another, especially since we couldn't find the first one!

"Will you two knock it off? Fishlegs, go and man the watchtower." I told Fishlegs, as I knew Astrid would never listen to me in this condition.

"Whatever, I'm fine as long as I don't have to see this backstabbing bitch." and he walked away.

"Why you little-LET ME GO GOBBER!" She yelled at me, struggling against my hook arm.

"Just stop, Astrid. Cool off a bit." I told her. I noticed that she was wearing the armbrace that was on Hiccup's room. She might have snuck in and taken it.

"I will cool down when he eats his words! How dare he say that I was using him to gain power! I was Hiccup's friend because I liked him. I wasn't his friend for some damn position!" She growled. This much I knew was true, as I knew both Hiccup and Astrid, but to an outsider, for Astrid to say that she liked Hiccup for him would seem like a downright lie.

"I know that Astrid. What I would like to know is how you come by that fine armbrace." Her attitude changed in lightning speed. The angry, swearing Astrid had left, replaced by this blushing, bashful Astrid.

"I found it in Hiccup's room this morning when I went to see him. Now this is the only thing I have left of him." She didn't know that she was wearing two gifts he made, but I wouldn't tell her that he only made one of those specifically for her.

"I know what it is and where it's from. I'll let you keep it if you calm down." She sighed resignedly.

"Deal" With that, she walked away, sheathing her axe.

I had hoped Stoick would be more serious than stubborn about this; otherwise, he would end up killing every dragon he saw. I might have to tell him the truth as the people in the Mead Hall were still celebrating the incident. They know that he ran away because I told them. I could never tell what them what he wrote down on the letter to them, or they would demand his banishment for sure. Then again, you couldn't banish someone who had already left, could you? Those damn bunch of morons.

* * *

 _At the dragon nest_

 **Hiccup POV**

Something wet and sticky was running on face. I heard worried crooning and I knew only a Night Fury could make those sounds, especially my Night Fury, Toothless. I groaned, as I couldn't talk while Toothless licked my face. Hearing me groan, he stopped licking and squashed my stomach with his paw.

"Ouch, Toothless it hurts. Will you cut it out?"

I pushed myself to a sitting position. It was nearly night and I hurt all over the place. I might have stayed unconscious for a few hours as I remember the fight with the Red Death happened at about noon. After waking me up and seeing that I was not too beat up, he started licking his hind leg. I didn't know why I was in so much pain...until I got a good look at myself.

I had small pieces of shrapnel sticking out of my body everywhere and my left side seemed to taken a rain of shrapnel from the explosion of the Red Death. Toothless also caught a few pieces himself, but had already removed the shrapnel and was licking his wounds. I looked at my leg and I immediately wanted to throw up. One piece of bone or more, likely shards of teeth from the Red Death had pierced my leg just a few inches above my ankle. It stuck out from both sides but the wound was not bleeding for now. A thick mixture of sand and blood had sealed it. I needed to get out of here.

"Toothless, come here. Let's see if we can repair the damage or have to wait half a month till Gobber gets here." He quickly got closer to me and dropped his tail in my lap while slapping my face playfully with his good tail fin.

"Ha-ha, very funny, Mr. Comedian. Now don't you worry, Hiccup the Healer will fix your tail in no time." I said jokingly while inspecting the damage. The fire destroyed the tailfin and the ropes connecting the fin to the paddle had been lost in the fire. The straps securing the fin to Toothless tail caught fire but they had enough material left to support flight. The metal frame was a bit bent but I managed to straighten it a bit just enough to fly. After a few minutes, I attached the spare tailfin and the connecting rope to the paddle. I tested the function of it with my hand since my foot was feeling numb. Satisfied with the controls, I patted Toothless' head.

"Well, we finally did it, didn't we bud? Dragons everywhere are free, Vikings everywhere are safe, and this war is finally over!"

He purred happily. I had to admit, I too was feeling quite good, even with the six-inch spike sticking out of my foot. I mounted Toothless and flew into the night.

My feeling of euphoria did not last.

I felt feverish and it took a lot of power just to stay awake. I could say with absolute certainty that we were lost. My foot was numb and I shivered more than a babe in the cold. Toothless flew as fast as he could to the Bog islands. I had pointed that out as the fall away islands if we made it out safe. That and I couldn't protect Toothless as I was. I remembered Camicazi telling me that if I needed to make a run for it, she'd bend some rules to allow me to stay on the Bog Burglar islands. I was trying hard to stay awake when I noticed something on the ocean. It was night so I didn't see what it really was, but it looked like the Outcasts were seizing a five-man ship. If I could chase the Outcasts away, I could land on the ship and maybe get them to take us to the Bog Islands. I couldn't fly on Toothless forever as the supports could only do so much.

"Toothless...ssh-sshipsssss...att-tt-ttack" I told him and he might have understood the situation as he shot plasma blasts at the outcast ships. The Outcast ships, under attack by a Night Fury, sailed away, leaving the small boat at our, well Toothless' mercy. We landed on the ship and I dropped unceremoniously to the deck.

"Help..." I told them, getting to at least one knee.

"The Bog islands...I need to…" I etched out and I felt Toothless curling around me. I faintly heard what the men were saying.

"He's injured."

"But he has a dragon, sir!"

"This boy and his dragon just saved us! Heather, get some bandages. Ivy, help me get the boy out of the dragon's..."

I didn't know what they were talking about anymore and I slowly lost consciousness.

* * *

 **A.N.**

 **Guest** ; thanks for the review glad that you like the story.

 **Guest** ; Thanks for the review. I too feel that way. Fanfic world sure need more hiccami stories. Happy to know that you liked the story.

 **.9279** ; Thanks for the review. They surely will hope they find what they are looking for.


	10. The Fleet Returns

_At the docks on berk,_

 **Stoick POV**

We arrived at the docks a little later than we expected. The wind dropped so the ships were in no hurry to return. We made it home a few hours after the sun had gone down. I couldn't wait to see Hiccup Whenever I returned from the nest, I had always wanted to see my son first and foremost, but since I had allowed him to enter Dragon training, I was extra urgent to see him. Some recruits never make it trough. After docking I was suddenly out run by a mob made by the villagers who were left on the village. They were going to see their loved ones and unload the remaining ships. They were greeting me with happy faces and I have no clue what's going on.

"Congratulations, Stoick! Everyone is so relived." The wife of Blob the Baker exclaimed, shaking my hand.

"Out with the old and in with the new, right?" Blob the Baker chuckled, cuffing me on the shoulder. Most of them were complimenting me as they passed me.

"No one will miss that old' nuisance!"

"We had a party to celebrate!" They said, leaving me confused. Confusion quickly turned into worry.

Had something happened to Hiccup?

I didn't notice Gobber coming closer towards me until he spoke.

"Well, I trust you found the nest, at least?" Gobber asked me while taking my basket of supplies from my hand and walking with me towards the village.

"Not even close." The damned beasts overpowered us and we lost our ships to the fog. They had the tactical advantage and we ran out of supplies quickly. We had no choice but to retreat.

"Ah…excellent." He said. I hoped he was being sarcastic when he said excellent.

"I hope you had more success than me?" I asked him.

"Well, if by success, you mean if your parenting troubles are over, then…yes." He sighed, turning away from me.

"He's gone…isn't he?" I asked Gobber, doing my best not to break character.

"I think ye'd better head home and grab a mug of mead before I tell you the tale."

With that, it was then that I understood why the villagers were so jubilant, they were happy because Hiccup was gone. They were celebrating because my son, my only son had left Berk, his village, his home!

Hiccup ran away, the last connection I had to Valka…was gone.

We walked down the town center and climbed the small hill to my house in silence. After we got in, I grabbed two mugs, filled it with mead and sat down on the table.

"Well Gobber, do your worst." I told him. There was nothing he could possibly tell me that could make me feel worse than I did at that Moment

"Well…how do I begin?" He asked himself. I was going to bang my fist on the table and demand that he speak before he sighed.

"This may be hard for you, but hear me out to the end." He took a sip of mead from the mug I had given to him.

"This happened just after you left for the hunt…"

* * *

 _Bog Burglar islands,next day near midday..._

 **Camicazi POV**

Half the village was still in bed despite it being midday. I returned yesterday with the ceremonial throat-cutting dagger of the cut-throats, completing my quest. Mother threw a party to celebrate me becoming an official part of the tribe. It took up most of the night hence the still sleeping village. For a heavy drinker, I don't feel too bad. Mom was up too, but even though she was a heavier drinker than me, she was still hungover. I was helping Mom to get the village going when Brandy came running towards us.

"Bertha, Bertha! You are needed at the docks immediately!" She was yelling while running towards us.

"Quit your shouting, woman!" Mom barked at her. "Don't you see I'm hungover?!"

"Sorry chief. You're needed at the docks. A boat with peaceable tribe sails are sailing here" That was strange. They rarely came here because our 'attitude' towards men.

"Are you sure, why would they come here?" I asked before my Mom could ask the same thing.

"The boats barely floating. It might have run into a storm" We nodded and walked towards the docks. When we arrived, there were a few villagers surrounding the ship, spears at the ready. I could've sworn I heard some growling coming from the ship. The travelers on the ship were tied down on the floor. As soon as they saw us coming, the travelers begged for our help.

"Chief, we need your help! There's a boy in the ship that need immediate medical attention!" Not surprising, considering the shape of the ship.

"Chief, they have a dragon on the ship. This is a cowardly plan to attack us!" One of our guards with a spear told us.

"We did not bring that dragon along. It landed on our ship with the boy. It belongs to him!" He said. So this boy was not a one of their crew?

"Enough of your lies. This is an obvious act of war!" Another guard yelled.

"WOULD YOU ALL STOP YELLING?! Has anyone actually checked the condition of the boy?" my Mom finally asked and all of them shook their heads.

"Well, don't just wait there, go and check one him. Someone else, release them." The strangers were soon released but no one volunteered to go check the boy.

"I'll go. It seems I'm the only one with the backbone." I said. I know there was no chance that a dragon could kill me.

"Wait lass, leave the weapons. This dragon doesn't like weapons brought closer to the boy. We had to throw all our weapons to the sea to keep our lives" The man told me. I sighed and dropped my assortment of weapons before going aboard the ship. Well, what do you know? There actually was a dragon protecting a boy. It curled around the boy and growled loudly at me. I've seen dragons from Terrors to Scauldrons but this one I've never seen before. It even wore a saddle. I really wanted to save the boy after that.

"Hey dragon, I left the weapons back at the docks. Is it okay if I take your boy? I need my people to treat him."

It stared at me with a soul piercing glance. It slowly uncurled from the boy, letting me have a good look at him. Its eyes never left me. I took a good look at the boy.

"I got to give your boy some credit, dragon. He's one tough son of a troll to survive this kind of beating."

His hair and the eyebrows were burned off unevenly. His clothes were torn and his leg was covered with a huge bandage. I chord was struck within me, I felt like I knew this boy from somewhere. Then I noticed something that made me cry a certain name unintentionally. He had a thin scar along his jaw line just like…

"Hiccup…MUM, GET THE HEALER! HE NEEDS TREATMENT, RIGHT NOW!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. The dragon was giving me a weird look and was coming closer to me after I said Hiccup's name.

"I know him, dragon. I promise you, I won't let him die. He's safe with us. Let us help him. Please." I told it. Somehow it seemed to understand what I said. It went to the far corner of the ship and curled into a ball. But it never closed his eyes or looked away from Hiccup. I went back to the docks as the healer and her helpers came with a stretcher. My Mom was talking with the free-folks.

"Are you sure it's Hiccup, Cami? Hiding away an heir is basically accepting an invitation to war." my Mom asked me.

"Yes mum, I'm sure. Now I think of it, it's not that surprising." I told her as I remembered the way he was when I was 'visiting' Berk.

"What do you mean, Cami?" my Mom asked.

"I'll fill you in later, but for now, who are these good people?" I asked Mom avoiding the question. I still can't publicly talk about what happened on Berk without telling Mom privately what happened first.

"Oh, this here is Aconite Freespirit," She pointed at the man who nodded at me.

"His wife, Ivy Freespirit," she pointed at the elder women who did the same as her husband.

"And their daughter, Heather Freespirit." The young woman waved at me with a smile. I smiled back at her.

"Cami, you can hang out with Heather while I arrange what to do to these people. I'll send a word after the discussion is over." I know Mom she just wants to take Heather away so they could speak about whether they'd stay or when they planned to leave.

"So I didn't get your name." Heather told me politely.

"It's Camicazi Lightfinger, expert pickpocket. You can call me Cami." I told her and after putting my "tools" where they belonged, we went to follow the healers but they cut us out soon.

"Sorry dears, he needs space and we don't want anyone who isn't a helping hand near him for now." Respecting the healer, we went back to the ship.

"Your ship looks pretty banged up." I asked her. I need to know how they found him.

"This was almost all by outcasts, they tried to capture us and that boy saved us. He passed out after saying 'Bog Islands.' At the time, there was some disagreement, but in the end, if it wasn't for him, we'd either be in the Outcasts' prisons…or worse…" Heather shuddered. So that's what happened. I nodded as I had nothing else to tell.

"So what kind of a dragon is it? And how tame is it?" I asked while walking toward the dragon.

"We don't know. We have never seen a one like this. But we think it's a Night Fury, from the way it attacked the ships. We heard the boy call it 'Toothless.'" Heather told me and I burst out laughing at the Toothless part.

"Seriously? How do you know?" I asked her while laughing.

"Every time he moaned Toothless, it started licking his face." I guess that made sense.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you don't want to keep calling him 'the boy' forever. His name's Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. He's an heir, just like me."

"That boy's an heir?!" Heather whispered. "His tribe must be worried sick about him!"

"I doubt it." I scoffed in disgust. "If you saw what happened to that dude before he left, you'd be just as pissed as me."

"Why, what happened?"

"Let's just say…a girl decided to make it stick that she wasn't interested in him. When I saw him, he looked worse than when he flew onto your ship with 'Toothless.' But enough about that, have you touched it?"

"What? No, I'm not insane!" Heather drew circles near her ear with her finger to emphasize the fact. "Anyway, Cami, where can we get some fish? That Night Fury must be starving." Heather asked me and I was already walking to the food storage.

"Follow me. I know just the place."

* * *

 _Back on Berk on the same day stoick returned…_

 **Stoick POV**

For the next half hour or so, Gobber unraveled the development of events that took place in my absence.

I lost track of time when I heard about Astrid pulverizing Hiccup. I knew that lass had quite a fiery temper, but the thought that she could perform such an atrocity shocked me. I thought her anger was fake; that she had only been angry at him to attract attention. I had thought that her fury was just a mask to hide her feelings for Hiccup, but I never once thought that she could hate him that much.

I knew that the torch the Nightmare burned down made Astrid lose her first kill. It probably wasn't a good idea to put Hiccup at the center of it. Then again, news travels fast on Berk, the lass would've caught wind of it sooner or later. The Hoffersons confronted me about that before we left for the hunt. They were demanding the blood eagle for the dishonor my son had caused upon their family. The Hofferson clan was very famous for their vengefulness towards people who caused them dishonor or made them lose a chance at regaining their honor. I thought the elder Hoffersons were very loyal to their chief and the heir would be treated no different. Unfortunately, it seemed that Astrid was more than passionate about this and took it more to heart than any of her clansmen. To make it worse, I couldn't punish her. Of all the codes we had on Berk, the Honor code stood above the rest as the most prestigious. Even a chief could be punished in a case of dishonor. I was brought back to this world by Gobber speaking again.

"He told me to tell you that he left a letter explaining everything. I'm really sorry about this, Stoick."

With that, he patted my back and left my house. I stood up and started pacing. I should never have pushed so hard. I was tough on Hiccup because he was Berk's heir and he had to learn to handle things on his own. He had a spirit of kindness, just like his mother. Maybe it was because Hiccup reminded me so much of her that I was so tough on him. I stopped pacing and went to his room. If he left behind a letter, it would only be in his room.

Hiccup kept his room neat, as usual, but I saw no crazy plan or drawings of the village. The only drawing remaining was pinned to wall. I remembered this drawing, he made it himself when he was six.

It was of me and him when he was six. He was an excellent artist, even at such a young age. The letter was on the table and I unfolded the paper with shaky hands.

 _Dear Dad or Chief Stoick,_

 _I'm leaving Berk. I need to prove my worth to the village and to myself. I know that I never acted like that I cared. Believe me Dad, I really did want to prove my worth, that's why I made all those dragon killing machines. Astrid helped me figure out where I went wrong. You probably know what happened between me and her. Please don't punish her, Dad. As brutal as she was, as hurtful as she was, as violent as she was, it really helped me figure out my purpose in this life. I'm now going to leave Berk in hope that someday I may return as the heir you and this village deserves. Don't worry Dad, I'll be careful. I even may return sooner than you think. If I manage to return, I'll make you proud from what I have achieved. Until then, put me aside and keep protecting the village. You've always done that well._

 _I'll always love you, father._

 _-Hiccup_

When I finished the letter, I fell to my knees, crumpling the letter in my hands. The roof must've been out of date because water started leaking the roof and landing in little droplets in front of my face. I then realized that the droplets weren't droplets, but tears, running from my face and dripping on my chin. My heart turned violently as I realized just what this whole village and I have done. We've driven away our heir...I've driven away my son.

"By the gods! What have I done?!"

* * *

 **Gobber POV**

After I talked to Stoick about Hiccup, I walked back to the forge. I wasn't but six steps away when I heard him shout at the top of his lungs:

"BY THE GODS, WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

 _Three days later…_

Three days have passed since Hiccup left and he still hasn't returned. He told me that he would come in two days in his letter. If you looked at Stoick then, you wouldn't see a fearless Viking chieftain. You'd seen a broken man, plagued with loss. The last time he was this upset was when Valka died, but seeing how he reacted then as opposed to how he reacted when Hiccup left, well…

The world may very well have ended for Stoick. At one time, he had a wife and a son. Then, he only had a son. He had nothing left then. The only thing that interested him was killing dragons.

We had a very small raid about ten or fifteen dragons and Stoick personally killed as much as he could. The only person who rivaled his anger at the dragons was Astrid. She killed the nightmare, which led to her graduating the class and being promoted to the front lines. The Hoffersons all celebrated, but I could tell they still felt incomplete. The spectacular sight was when the dragons were spotted, she was Astrid "Fearless" Hofferson but after they were all slain, she was Astrid "the Dragon Bane" Hofferson. The dragons fled at the sight of her and ran to the direction of Stoick the Vast. Neither of them showed any mercy. I wanted to help them but I couldn't forget the letter from Hiccup, so I stayed at the forge for once in my life. Not that I was needed on such a small raid. I couldn't help but notice that they were less aggressive and haven't even touched our winter supplies.

The raid was yesterday. The following day we watched flee at the sight of Astrid and Stoick slaying them when they were in rage. Stoick had been killing them to let off some steam, but the village had other ideas and soon Astrid was thrown to the ring too. I had to admit, it was pretty cathartic to watch dragons flee at the sight of her. Only the Terrible Terror managed to get away as it was small enough to crawl between the chains. After the dragon slaying, the whole village was happy but it was the slayers who didn't share in their jubilation

I joined Stoick at the main table at the Mead Hall. "So Stoick, how are you feeling?" I asked him, but I didn't need the answer, I knew it already.

"Well, I feel horrible, Gobber. I could've been a better father to him. Maybe then he wouldn't have left us." He lamented. Hiccup did say to wait two days before looking for him. Well, three days have passed so I supposed it was fair game to come clean a bit.

"Well Stoick, if you must know, I might have an idea of where he is." Stoick instantly changed from a moaning, melancholy Viking to an attentive, eager one.

"Where is he? What are you waiting for?" He fired off. Of course, if you said anything about Hiccup's whereabouts, the raincloud over his head vanished.

"He went to the nest. He found a map and he went to prove his worth. I even didn't know until I found his letter." I told him and showed him the paper with the map. I showed him all the papers about the nest. I wouldn't show him the letter or the piece of paper containing the drawing of a Night Fury.

"He had it all along?" He asked while going through the papers rapidly.

"I doubt that he had this weeks before he left. He said in the letter not to enter the nest with our fleet as there's a dragon like no other we've ever seen. He might have kept the map hidden to keep us safe." I couldn't lie well. I usually spilt the truth. But this time, I couldn't do it. For Hiccup's sake, I have to try my best not to tell Stoick too much, though I feel like I've already crossed that line.

"I need to see that letter, Gobber." He asked me.

"No Stoick, it was written to me. He took his sketches, paintings, and drawings with him, so this is all I have left of him." I told him. It was a low blow, but I couldn't show it to him, could I?

"You can have it back, I just need to know what he wrote to you." He told me.

"Fine, I'll tell you. It said I was like a father to him and that having to leave me made him sad. Happy now? Trust me, you don't want to read it." I told him. The rest of the meal went away without either of us talking much. At the end of the meal, Stoick got up and started to make an announcement.

"Settle down, everyone. I have an announcement to make." It looked like stubborn triumphed over serious once again.

"I have just found out that my son had a map of the dragon nest-" The whole hall erupted in hurried voices. "Quiet! This is serious. He withheld information about the nest. I need to hear what the village thinks about this." He said, but Mildew the Cantankerous answered quickly.

"What is there to think? Who needs more proof that the boy was helping the dragons raid this village?" a loud commotion of "Aye…" was backing him up so he continued.

"We should have thrown him to the sea when we had the chance. We should find him and deliver onto him capital punishment!" Another loud "Aye…" helped him.

"Ask the Hoffersons, they, of all clans know we should banish him, after all, he-"

"Enough! Don't you see we have the means to get to the nest and send them running for good?!" Stoick said, the whole crowd approved him with nods and "ayes" but I saw the Hoffersons making their way to the front of the crowd. The matriarch, Helga Hofferson looked downright furious. Her husband, Wing Hofferson looked frightened and Astrid looked ashamed.

"The fact remains that we should punish him just as soon as we find him!" Helga yelled. The hall fell silent waiting for the chief to reply.

"He will be put to trials for his crimes when we return. Until then, I refuse to acknowledge him as heir to Berk. I refuse to acknowledge him as any son of mine. Ready the ships!" With that, he started walking out of the Mead Hall. I felt like I was slapped across the face.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, on Outcast Island_

 **Alvin POV**

These lazy, no-good traitors. They couldn't even capture a boat from the peaceable tribes. If they had succeeded, we could have gotten some easy ransom.

"Have you got anything to say before your tongue is dragon bait?" I asked Savage as he arrived empty handed.

"Of course, Alvin. I promise you, you are going to like this" What an idiot. He honestly thought I'd swallow that rope every time?

"What I want to hear is that you caught that boat and I have a good ransom waiting to be collected." I saw his face lose its color. Good.

"Well Alvin, if I told you someone conquered a Night Fury and attacked us while flying on it, will that save my life?" I could almost see his pants wetting. What a load of dragon crap. Dragons couldn't be conquered, unless they were in pieces.

"Well, unless you have proof, you're as good as dead." I told him while lifting my sword.

"We all saw that. Tell him, you fools!" he barked at the soldiers. People always bark at the ones beneath them. That's why I was secured at the top.

"Yes sir, Alvin we saw it." I walked closer to him and pressed the point of my sword on his belly.

"Are you dead sure that you saw a man riding a night fury?" I slowly pressed the sword in until it came out from the other side. Well, he must have been telling me the truth, otherwise he would have begged for his life long ago. Something else to know about my troops is the fact that above all else, they'd only save their own lives.

"Well, well, well…it seems there really is a dragon conqueror." I need to catch him at any cost. If I could learn his secrets, kill him, and claim his Night Fury, then no one could stop me from destroying Berk, not even Stoick the Vast. After I destroyed Berk, it'd be a cakewalk to conquer the archipelago and perhaps…the entire world.

"Well Savage, the Gods smile upon you today. Bring me more information about this 'dragon conqueror' and I'll continue to postpone your demise." I told Savage as he crawled up from his knees and saluted me.

"On it, Alvin. We won't disappoint you." With that, he left my hall, yelling orders at the men.

"Oh, I know you won't. That is, if you value your life." I told him just before he was out of the hearing range and was proud of the shudder that went through his body with my words.

* * *

 **A.N.**

 **EagleDragon15;** thanks for the review. Do keep in mind that fish have a tendency to go berserk. So its

fish legs normal nature

 **guest** ; thanks for the review. Glad to know that you liked the fight sense. Keep reading and you'll know

what happens sooner than you think

 **Sir Baron** ; thanks for the review. I'll try to do another one but I first have to finish this and this is not a

tiny one.

 **ivanganev1992** ; thanks for the review. I know about the peaceful tribe but this chapter might or might

not clarify why I did not put hiccup there. (I won't tell because huge spoiler) besides he knew

cami and she asked him to come if he ran away. That's better than nothing. One things for sure

he won't understand toothless speech though in the book he could understand. Good thing is

once

he develops enough confidence he'll dream even crazier plans than he did before. Thanks again.

 **Iresh;** I told you my spelling and grammar is crappy. I'll try to correct them and upload again. (haven't I

told you not to read this?)

p.s. to anyone who is not iresh** he is one of my best friends and I specifically told him not to read so he read it and put a comment**


	11. Untold treasures

_Fifteen days later, at the ruined dragons' nest…_

 **Stoick POV**

We arrived at Helheim's Gate. We would have been here days earlier before if not for the dead weight we dragged behind us. Gobber insisted that we should drag those fresh water boats because of Hiccup's letter. They toppled over countless times hence the delay. Hiccup's plans were just like him. No matter how much I loved them, they caused me great distress. I really wish Hiccup was telling the truth. I disowned him because I thought it was the best way to protect someone from killing him on sight. He may have withheld information about the dragons' nest, but that didn't make him one of them. In retrospect, I should have found out a better way to handle it because if Hiccup was never found, it'd be my fault that he'd never be my son again.

I was a blemish on the name of great Viking chieftains, husbands, and fathers everywhere. I lost Val because I was protecting the village and didn't make it home in time. I lost Hiccup because I refused to stand by my son and let thoughtless words fly out of my mouth. I should have done as Gobber told me and which now I think back, he was absolutely right. The Hoffersons could take their words, their quest for glory, and their vendetta against Hiccup, and shove 'em all right up their asses. Gobber told me after I disowned Hiccup that I could have just waited. We both knew that Hiccup hadn't kept information intentionally. Since he was heir, he deserved a formal trial before banishment. We began to dock on the freshwater boats. Gobber, two of the Ingermens, and I stood at my boat.

Two more boats sailed behind us, one filled with teens as they could make a quick getaway and warn the others if Hiccup was leading us to a trap, which according to me was nothing more than hot air. The other boat was filled with Berk's best fighters. The Hoffersons were there, naturally. Our progress was slow, but promising. We were in the mist for about fifteen minutes and we've neither drowned nor burned so far.

I wondered how Hiccup drew this map. Even Hiccup didn't, someone had to. So how on earth did he find the way? Not to toot my own horn…okay, fine, I happened to be one of the best navigators on Berk…even I didn't know where in Thor's name we were going. After another twenty minutes, the fog started to thin out and we were getting a bit cold. The sea at this time of the year was freezing cold, literally. The mist was hot as usual but we never noticed it this differently as we were either fighting off those pesky dragons or jumping off sinking ships. The water was getting shallower and shallower.

"Get ready, we're getting closer." I told Gobber and he signaled for the other two to get ready.

The boat hit land. We've finally arrived at the heart of Helheim's gate. The dragons' nest.

"LAND HO!" Gobber yelled. I jumped out of the boat and looked around the surroundings. We stood at the end of the beach and we couldn't see after that. "Well, Hiccup hasn't steered us wrong yet." The familiar voice of Gobber told me.

"Yet being the operative word. I hope he solved the dragon problem. Though I don't think that there could be a dragon like the one you told me about."

Gobber told me about a colossal dragon at the nest and by Hiccup's size, it might've been a timber-jack or something like that.

"So what now, chief? I don't see any other boats than ours. Are you sure that Hiccup wasn't trying to kill us?" Helga Hofferson asked. She had a point. Where was Hiccup's boat?

"We don't know anything for sure, so far he has told no lies. We follow his instructions until we find otherwise. Besides, he might have landed somewhere else. Follow me, we should search the rest of the beach."

It was the best reason I could come up with. I started walking towards the edge of the boulders from which the beach was divided into two. As I walked closer to the boulders, I smelled something funny. I have smelled things funnier than that so I pushed on. After entering the next section of the beach, the "funny" smell assaulted my nose with full force.

I have never, ever smelled something like that in my entire life. I have been on a ship in which the crew was dead and rotting. I had to drag them to sea one by one. But this smell easily overthrew any gruesome smell I have ever encountered at least by tenfold.

"What on earth is that horrifying stench?!" Gobber yelled as he entered the beach.

"Stoick sir, I believe that there's a very high chance that it's coming from that thing" Fishlegs told while pointing to the far end of the beach. A huge boulder like thing stood at the end of the beach on which flocks of terrors and birds were circling around. After informing me of that, he continued vomiting into the ocean, merrily empting the contents of his stomach.

* * *

 _On the bog burglar islands…_

 **Camicazi POV**

Two weeks went by since Hiccup was brought here. He hasn't improved much. After a week, he was brought into one of the guest rooms in my house. Heather and her family went back to their village a few days after Hiccup was brought here. Heather insisted on staying here but their parents and my mother didn't like that idea so she went to her village. Heather and I really bonded, she was like the sister I never had. She secretly told me that next spring, her boat may come here after being lost in ocean. Hiccup was still unconscious but his wounds were healing at a rapid rate.

Unfortunately, his left leg was a casualty of whatever war Hiccup had fought.

The wound was infected and the lower half of the leg was already dead when he was brought here. The healer had to cut it off immediately after he was brought to her hut. He had many wounds all over the body, but was struck me as odd was the huge spike of pearl sticking out of his leg. That wasn't all, a ruby shard, a freaking ruby shard was in his arm.

This guy was a human gold mine!

I kept the ruby and the pearl was with my mum. We've seen many wounds but this was the weirdest injury we had ever seen. I was still sad for him. Not only hadn't he woken up, but he would never be able to walk normally again. The only one more worried about Hiccup than me was Toothless. I kept my worry on the inside and frankly the Hiccup I knew was not that close to me.

Toothless, on the other hand, well…let's just say if that Night Fury were human, I'd mistake him for Hiccup's older brother.

When we amputated Hiccup, he woke from his unconsciousness and yelled his head off before going unconscious again. For us, that was nothing unusual. To Toothless, that meant war. It took six of the strongest warriors we had to restrain him enough to show him that Hiccup was in fact okay. Well, as okay as he could be in these conditions.

Toothless had been acting funny as of late. I've seen him act weird but this topped the charts. He hadn't left Hiccups bed for a moment until the previous day. He hadn't eaten nor slept a bit until the previous day either. Actually, on the previous day, we found Toothless helping himself to our fish supply. We ignored it as was natural for him to get hungry, but he still hadn't returned yet. By the sounds of things, he seemed to have cleared out three quarters of our fish supply. Good thing we had a grain supply along with a salted meat supply aside from the fish. My mum had an idea to put Toothless in a cage if he got out of hand. But maybe the dragon stress eats, just like my mom. We had to put her to a cage until she stopped.

I have managed to put some water into Hiccup's mouth as the healer instructed. He swallows anything put to his mouth and also does the other rather disturbing things which I have to clean. He still wouldn't wake up. It was like his body was here but his mind was somewhere else. To make things worse, snow had started to fall, which meant the freeze would come in two to three days. What worried us the most about Hiccup was the fact that the sick almost never survived the freeze.

* * *

 _Back at the ruined dragons' nest..._

 **Astrid POV**

The nest wasn't what I made it out to be. It was a dragon's nest, right? So where were the dragons? I only saw a huge flock of terrors at the other end of the beach.

"We'll split up that way; we could cover more ground. Astrid and Fishlegs, come with me. As for the others, search the beach as threes or fours and find Hiccup." Stoick ordered us and without hesitation we obeyed.

After Hiccup left, Fishlegs and I had more than a falling out. He was right to be mad at me, hell I was mad at myself the most! His eyes were full of disgust and I know it was because of something more than this foul smell. He had his bearskin vest up to his eyes and I also breathed through my arm bands.

"Stoick sir, I think that's a dragon!" Fishlegs yelled as soon as we were close enough to see that small hill clearly. Good thing we never found our way to the nest before. This thing could have wiped all our ships in a matter of seconds. We don't know how it really looked like as now we are close enough to see clearly that it was indeed a dragon…

Well, at least half of one.

The dragon's head was all over the beach. If we arrived earlier, we might have to go back as the giant corpse was rotting for a good three days. All that remained when we saw it were lots and lots of bones. That dragon's belly was open and the insides were spilling out. Terrors were eating the insides and I didn't see any other parts being eaten, like the skin.

The dragon looked like it exploded from the inside.

Who would have done this, and more importantly, how? Hiccup would have never achieved this alone. That explained a lot, he must've had someone helping him. That's how he got those maps and other things. He might have helped Hiccup to get here. When I looked at Stoick, I could see that he was having the same thoughts.

"All right. If he was here, then I'll say that he deserves to be freed from all charges and a feast shall be prepared for him as well as whomever helped him." I nodded at him. If he did defeat a dragon, then a feast was only the beginning of what he deserved. However, Fishlegs seemed to have a different idea.

"Sir, if Hiccup did this, then where is he? There's a ninety-eight point three probability that he died here and whomever helped him wouldn't be able to prove his achievement." He was right.

"No! He is here somewhere. I can feel it in my bones. Let's find them and go forward from there!" he said.

"Stoick come over here, you might want to see this!" Gobber yelled. Had he found Hiccup? I didn't wait a single second and ran towards Gobber. Stoick and Fishlegs were right behind me. Gobber was at an entrance to a tunnel. Maybe this is the place where the huge dragon lived. My mom and dad was there too and my mom was swinging her axe at the wall of the cave. When Stoick was there, Gobber threw a few sand stones at him. He caught them with ease.

"Stoick, what do you think about them?" He asked Stoick and Stoick started examining them for a while and then he dropped it and bashed it with his hammer. He then picked the sand stone again and a wowed expression of understanding crossed his face.

"Is this what I think this is Gobber?" He asked. Gobber was grinning like an idiot and nodded.

"How much of this is here?" He asked.

Gobber continued to grin and he gestured to the whole tunnel. "This whole place is built out of it, Stoick!"

What was so important about sand stones? Seeing my confused look, my father answered.

"That rock Stoick has is not a sand stone, lass. It's a diamond. This whole cavern is made of diamonds!" wow I was speechless. A diamond of that size would definitely be more valuable than our entire families' treasure.

"So does that mean we're all rich?" I asked. I suddenly started controlling the urge to swing my axe at the wall and stuff my clothes with diamonds.

"Not necessarily lass. Diamonds are hard to brake, so we only can gather the small broken ones we could carry. Don't forget we should return quickly; we don't have much time." Stoick answered me. He turned toward my parents. "Gather the finest of these that you can carry and take them to the boats, but don't take too much of it, or it will sink the boats. The rest of you come with me, we need to find Hiccup."

With that, we returned to the beach, leaving mum and dad to do the heavy lifting. Gobber and Fishlegs were behind the group, shooing the Twins and Snotlout away from the tunnel. We split up and started searching. I saw a drag mark of considerable size and I went to see what made it. The marks looked like a huge chunk of that dragon dragged along the sandy beach. I only have seen these kind of marks on dragon raids. The dragons downed by arrows or bolas often left these behind. This was probably another casualty of war, so I moved on. Before I could walk more than a few paces, Gobber called us to him again.

"Come here, all of you." I was close to him so I was the first to reach him.

"Gobber, what did you find?" he was turning his back to me so I couldn't read his face. "Gobber can you hear me?" I asked him again. However, he didn't reply and before I could do anything Stoick was here.

"Did you find him? Where is he?" Stoick asked Gobber eagerly.

"Right here…" With that, Gobber turned around. He was holding a scorched piece of leather, a rope covered in blood on his hook arm, and a tiny blood stained, slightly rusted dagger in his right hand. I could clearly see fresh tears leaking from his eyes.

"No…no, dear Gods, no…" I un-intentionally started crying and fell to my knees. I just drove my best friend off to a suicide mission and it was because of a small mistake that wasn't even his fault! Hiccup wasn't just gone anymore. He was dead and gone.

Once again, it was my entire fault.

I didn't care that my parents and others were watching. I looked up when someone came to my side and put a hand on my shoulder. It was my dad.

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry. I know how much he meant to you, but the only thing we can do is honor his memory and keep the good times with him close to our hearts."

My dad was trying to comfort me but that made me cry even harder. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Stoick petrified and staring at the remains Gobber was holding. I could understand what he was feeling. He lost the last member of his family. I was feeling something similar to what he was feeling.

We felt loss, pain, regret, and shame.

"To the ships." Stoick finally said in a depressed voice. We absent-mindedly went to the boats and started sailing out of the nest. When we reached the rest of the fleet, we unloaded the "special" cargo into the leading ships and set sail to Berk.

* * *

 _The Bog burglar islands, one day later…_

 **Camicazi POV**

We worked as we could. Well, I was trying my best to take Toothless to his cage rather than to our salted meat supply for winter. He ate through all our fish for the winter and didn't look at least half full. Therefore, we put some salted meat and the last basket of fish we had in the cage, which was custom built for him. We never found the need to train with dragons so we didn't have a dragon ring like other villages. We had a cavern prison that was where we kept the cage made for Toothless. In that place, we were certain that Toothless wouldn't die from the cold. Our smiths made the toughest cage big enough to hold Toothless in the time we had. As it turned out, Toothless willingly went to the cage after he saw the fish and ate only half of it. He soon curled into a ball and fell asleep.

 _Two days later..._

It's funny how when you don't expect surprises, that's when they appear. We were checking on Toothless and none of us expected any surprises. I was with the group checking on him so if things went south, Toothless would at least listen to me more than the others. When we entered the cave, we immediately started sweating. Why were the caves boiling hot when we were just beginning winter? After removing our winter clothes, we went to Toothless' cage.

Well, what was left of it, anyway.

The cage was melting from the heat Toothless was producing. Speaking of which, he was in a cocoon of pitch-black shiny material. We could see that the material was giving out a pale blue glow. That stuff was hot. Even the earth near the cocoon was red hot. We couldn''t do anything about it as we knew nothing about what was happening and the only one who might have the slightest of ideas was still unconscious. Hiccup's condition remained the same, but all his wounds have healed and even his stump was healing fast. Still, no matter how well his body was, it meant nothing unless he was awake.

* * *

 _On the isle of the peaceable tribe_

 **Savage POV**

We arrived here few days before as travelers. The peaceable tribe was the only tribe that welcomed anyone from anywhere without hesitation. All we had to do was gather some clothes off some dead bodies and we were good to go. I was inbound towards the tavern now, as in the past few days, I have been on some understanding with some barmaids. Since I had reached such an understanding, I felt like they wouldn't be withholding vital information.

"So have you heard about someone who's called the Dragon Conqueror?" I asked her while tossing a coin at her tray.

"If you mean Dragon rider, then, of course I do." She replied eagerly. "He saved Aconite's family from Outcasts. He even got Night Fury scales to prove his point. They don't tell anyone where he is now, I mean, he surely might have left after he saved them. He told us that he was like a god from Asgard. He appeared out of nowhere and blasted those dirty Outcasts to pieces. The rest fled like children at the sight of a dragon" Ooh, she really shouldn't have said that last part. I really liked her. I patted the seat beside me, gesturing her to sit. After she sat down, we had a nice chat. I was looking around the tavern all the while waiting till the crowd get a bit thicker. I was at a table on the corner of the tavern so we could lean to the wall for support. Now feeling my time was up, I gave her a kiss. She, not knowing my intention kissed me back with passion. After the kiss, I hugged her.

"I really like you, honey, but you really shouldn't have insulted those Outcasts. After all, I was leading them!"

With that, I plunged my dagger through her heart from the back. My hugging prevented her from screaming and after her struggling eased, I leaned her against the wall and left the tavern.

I had to leave that day if I wanted to reach Outcast Island before the freeze.

* * *

 _Thirteen days later…_

 **Stoick POV**

We were a few hours away from Berk, but we weren't sailing to Berk anymore. We were late as these boats we were dragging slowed us down. Now they were stuck on the ocean, so we had to abandon them and walk our way home. The ocean was frozen so it wasn't as bizarre as it sounded.

I still refused to believe that Hiccup had perished. Gobber kept telling me to accept the fact that he is dead but I knew in my gut that he was still alive. If he was dead, how could I forgive myself, I could tell everyone else that I forgave Hiccup and he was once again my son, but how could a dead son forgive his father for disowning him? The Hoffersons, particularly Helga's reaction to all this was nothing short of hypocritical.

They demanded that Hiccup die at first sight before we left for the nest, but when we returned, they demanded the highest honor on him for bringing us that massive treasure and the killing of that colossal dragon. It made me sick. I knew Hofferson women had a short fuse and now that she was after the shiny things, Hannibal "Wings" Hofferson could barely talk sense into her. It still sickened me. After the Flightmare froze Finn on that fateful night, the Hoffersons were after honor like a fly to a flame. They just wanted to redeem their family name. I have thought once or twice to knock some sense to them but I let it pass, as they were not much trouble to the village. At that time, they were a blessing to us, but it was funny how times have changed. I wouldn't call them out for their greed, but I would keep in mind of what they were willing to do for honor and how wealth could easily bend the minds of Hofferson women.

 _A few hours later, in the Mead Hall…_

We returned to the Mead Hall, gathered to discuss my son. They demanded a "hero's honor" to Hiccup. The Hero's honor only went to those who perished in battle.

It was declaring to the whole village that my son had died.

"Settle down, everyone!" I shouted and the noise from the crowd dropped considerably.

"We all know why we are gathered here. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III discovered the nest and defeated the giant dragon hiding within the nest. We were not wrong to follow his instructions as they have led us to the nest to confirm this statement and brought us back home safely. Late, but safely, and thus, it is my pleasure to announce that Hiccup is now free of all charges. In addition, because he killed a dragon the size of Berk, not only shall we call him a Viking, but also we shall recognize him as my son with all of his birthrights, including the inheritance of Berk! Does anyone have any objections?" I asked. Most of them shook their heads. Not because they believed me but because they didn't want to go over me and face the consequences. It looked like the ruling would go off without a hitch.

That was, of course, until Mildew decided to open his mouth.

"I do. What proof do you have that worthless son of yours found the nest? What proof do we have that you found the nest? I hear that only a handful of people saw the nest. So how do we know that this isn't a plan to save that toothpick from punishment?" A very low approving nod passed through the crowd.

"Enough! I don't have to answer to your whiney old ass. How dare you question your chief's word like that? You want proof of us finding the nest?" I put my hand to my west and picked out a diamond about the size of my nose.

"You call this a lie? I have all the proof I need right here. I don't need a smelly old goat like you questioning my authority or insulting my son who succeeded where your whole family and many others' in this tribe failed. As for your punishment, Mildew the Cantankerous, I, Stoick the Vast, hereby banish you from the Hooligan tribe! Seize him and throw him in the jails. We'll ship him off to Outcast Island once the ocean unfreezes." I ordered. The villagers quickly grabbed the cursing Mildew out of the mead hall. People were staring at me with wide eyes.

"There will not be a hero's celebration in his honor. He's alive and one bloodstained dagger and a rope won't be enough prove his death." I told the crowd and they nodded rather reluctantly. I couldn't blame them, I just banished Mildew for insulting my son.

"You did the right thing, Stoick. They'll be proud of you." I know Gobber meant Valka and Hiccup. I would ask him just what he thought of me when I saw him again.

"Now Gobber, we must keep the location of the nest secret because the less that people know of it, the better we can protect it. After the winter, we'll send search parties to the nearby tribes to look for Hiccup." Gobber gave me a sad look and then nodded. I know that all the evidence says he's dead, but as a father, I refused that possibility. I felt his existence burn within me.

"I'll find you; Hiccup, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes."

* * *

 **A.N.**

Next chapter will be after winter (on story. we don't have winter in here) and sorry if my writings a bit messy. I wrote most of this on my phone. Remember reviews are much appreciated. They help me know what to improve.

 **supersandman86;** thanks for the review. I know, it definitely should be better grammar than first chapter. He just posted that just to mess with me. Hoffersons sort of are too big headed. I imagined ladies in that family being so and men are mostly down to earth and genuine. Also afraid of their wives. Heheeee. Gobber won't leave berk. Hiccup do need an inside man (hint, hint). I might re-correct the first chapters though.

 **MODdenial** ; thanks for the review. Yea they get a real surprise when they returned back there on spring. Hiccup forgive them, but he didn't forget so his future self will be a one learning from the past mistakes.

 **ivanganev1992;** thanks for the review. I always answer the questions if they are not major spoilers. You are right on the review. Those things plus something. It's a spoiler. Maybe you already got a hint for what's coming. He left the note books intact so those will come useful to gobber in future.

I have to ask you guys something. After reading the one I wrote I figured out that the names I put for the bog people were horrible so I asked one of my favourite writers (dragongirl135) to barrow the names from a story she had written. I have asked her and she have said yes so now all I need is the approval of the readers. I will appreciate your reply's. Pm me or review telling me what you would think. Please note that this will not affect the plot. I just need some names as I'm not that good in inventing names. Sooner I get replies sooner I could change the names and upload the next chap.


	12. Titan wing night-fury

_First day of spring_

 **Camicazi POV**

I have heard of miracles. I never expected to witness one.

Hiccup made it through the winter. He even woke up for a few seconds in the winter and called me 'Astrid' with disgust before falling unconscious. While it did feel good to know that he had a bad taste for that chick, her name probably shouldn't have been the first name that came out of his mouth, especially considering she would've beaten him to death if Gobber hadn't intervened, as Fishlegs told me.

Over the past three months, Hiccup had made himself at home in my heart. I was a Bog and men didn't mean much to us. Hiccup, however, he wouldn't grow up to be any ordinary man. Of course, showing up with a Night Fury, looking like you fought against a Legion of Romans and won meant that some god or goddess up there had labeled you as their plaything and would keep you around until they got bored. He must have someone looking out for him, considering he and his dragon both survived what I could only describe as wounds from war.

There were some wounds, however, that I could not understand.

I could wrap my head around something like a severed limb with an axe or a sword, but a pearl spike? The largest pearl I ever saw before what was sticking out of Hiccup's leg was no bigger than my thumb. How did he end up with a spike of it sticking on his leg? I committed it to memory to ask him when he awoke. His hair was longer than average. I liked playing with his hair a lot when we were kids and I still did. It gave him a nice look when it was long. His stump has healed well; all we needed to do was to train his leg muscles to get used to the prosthetic leg. At the time, the one he had, we used to fit to his size.

I went to see Toothless that morning and he was the same as the last time I saw him three months ago. The first thing I noticed was that the temperature changed for the better. The cave wasn't much warmer than the outside. The last time we were here, we could barely stay for more than few minutes. During the winter, my mother and I had a talk about the condition of Toothless and she said it was probably how Night Furies hibernated for the winter. She did have a point, the Bog Islands never had raids during the winter so we have chalked it up that dragons hibernate during the wintertime. Since Toothless was the first one we ever saw of any dragon hibernating, this might be the normal way of their life. Maybe Hiccup may know what this is about as his village had a dragon ring and his tribe was one of the first tribes to have one built.

I walked closer to the cocoon that was Toothless. The guard my mother sent in my aid was waiting at the entrance of the cave, how typical. As I got nearer, I saw that the cage had become a puddle of metal. His cocoon had also sunk into the cavern floor, melting the stony earth into lava. Only three or four feet of the cocoon remained on the surface level. I still could see the faint blue glow of the material clearly. I carefully lifted my hand to touch it.

"Don't touch it, Cami, it might be hot!" Brandy warned me.

"I'm fine, Brandy. It's probably not blistering hot." I told her and waved my hand in front of the glowing rock. I couldn't feel any heat coming from it. I touched the cocoon and it was slightly warm. It was like a drop of water; it was very smooth. When I felt around, I could feel some hairline cracks in the cocoon closer to the ground. Maybe, in a few days, we would see what happened to Toothless.

Satisfied, I walked to the Healer's Hut to get some ointment for Hiccup's stump because we had run out. After receiving the ingredients and making a new batch, I went home. Grabbing a basin and a sponge, I gave Hiccup a bath as I did for the past three months. In the winter, I only had to give him one every three weeks. For the last month, he got one every week. After his bath, I applied the ointment and wrapped his stump with a new bandage. I also attached the leg, hoping he wouldn't fall when he woke.

* * *

 _Elsewhere, on Berk…_

 **Astrid POV**

Spring had sprung and while the sea was beginning to melt, Stoick sent out a scouting party to recover what remained of the boats we left on the ocean. We gathered in the Mead Hall to discuss the arrangements of the search parties to the nearby tribes. As we cannot send many troops to the search, the chief made three groups.

Group Number 1 was Gobber, a one-man search party. His destination was the Bog-Burglar tribe where he would search for any information about a skinny boy captured before the winter by the Outcasts. He would probably have to use the "universal language" so he had a considerably large diamond.

Group Number 2 was my father, Snotlout, and me. To tell you the truth, I would rather go alone than with Snotlout. Unfortunately, I had no opinion and the chief made it clear that his decisions regarding the group arrangements were final. The smirk he gave me told that he intentionally grouped me with Snotlout so that he could have some revenge for what I have done to Hiccup. He couldn't officially punish me due to the law but leave it to the chief to find some way of gaining retribution for what I did. I didn't object, either, not just because I couldn't, but because I knew I deserved it. That didn't mean Snotlout had permission to flirt with me. Our missions were the Meatheads and the Cutthroats. While the Cutthroats were closer to us, we were on better terms with the Meatheads so we headed there first.

The final group, Group Number 3, was Fishlegs, the Thorston twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, along with Robert Ingermen, Fishlegs' father, who commonly known as bob. He was born on Berserker Island to a female Berserker and a man from some place called Italia. He was six feet tall and looked like a blond, beardless version of Stoick, but he truly was Fishlegs' father. He rarely went berserk, but when he did, Thor save you if you were his target. They would head to the Peaceables and the Ugly Thugs in whichever order they pleased.

We knew the arrangement, as before the public meeting, Stoick had a private meeting for a limited few people including us, and organized the search parties. The public meeting was to inform the village about it.

"As we all know, just before ice set in completely, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, my son, found the dragon's nest and killed their ruler." Stoick began his speech. Some people were still doubtful of the claims. Over the winter, the doubt seemed to increase.

"We will find him. As you already know, I sent out a scouting party to recover what we could of the ships that were stuck on the ice. I will tell you off the reasons later." A low mumbling ran through the crowd. "There is another announcement I have to make, so settle down. I have put together three groups to search for Hiccup on neighboring tribes. The young recruits will search with Bob Ingermen and Wing Hofferson. Gobber will search alone." When the chief announced Gobber's name, the whole crowd started protesting against it.

"That's absurd, Stoick!"

"We'll be left defenseless!"

"Who will repair our weapons?"

"They're right, Uncle Stoick. After all, Gobber is much more essential to Berk than Useless." Snotlout jeered. He only agreed to the search because I was stuck with him. When he said that, I felt sparks flying out of my ears. Though Gobber and Stoick didn't know who said it as they were in front, I still saw them losing their patience.

"Whether I join the search or not is up to me to decide and me alone. If any of you have any problems with it, speak now and I'll make sure that you never get any weapons from me!" That shut everyone up quickly, but he wasn't done. A creeping bowl of dread filled my gut as he began again.

"I would've stopped repairing your weapons a long time ago, if you must know. The lot of you celebrated the fact that my apprentice was on his deathbed! I did not because Hiccup would never have wanted me to take that course of action. As horrible as we were to him, he still had our best interests at heart. I would advise you all not to test my patience again, as it's already paper thin."

The crowd was silent. Gobber's implicit reminder of what I threw away hit me like the clubbing tail of a Gronckle. My knees wobbled a bit. I cursed myself for feeling so weak, but I knew it was my fault. I did this to Gobber, I did this to Stoick, I did this to Berk, and I knew it! Gobber didn't have to rub it in as I felt like absolute yak dung for the past 3 months. I hoped that Gobber's threat would be the end of it, but my mother thought it was the perfect time to poke that he delayed my glory for about a month.

It was the worst idea anyone on Berk had that day.

"We all know at that time he deserved it, Gobber. He only found the nest long after that incident. I still think he deserved it for the trouble he gave us for all those years." I heard a hesitant rumble of approval. If I could have, I would have jumped and closed her mouth but she was my mother. My father was trying to make her shut up by putting his hand on her shoulder. It didn't work.

"Would you just…" Stoick started to lash out but Gobber cut him off.

"I got this, Stoick." He replied, his voice going deadly cold. "Oh, Helga Hofferson, the Valkyrie with the dual axe, would you enlighten me of what you mean when you say 'he deserved it?'"

He was making my mother lose her temper, and I was sure he knew it, too. The accomplished smirk on his face spoke volumes.

"Well now, you really are getting old, ain't ya, Gobber? Don't you remember that he denied my girl's first kill?" She ground out. The explosion was coming and I could see it.

"So what if a small accident delayed the Hofferson clan from regaining their honor? Hiccup brought more glory to his family line, which might end with him, in one night than any of you have in your entire existence!" That really set my mother off. The villagers were awaiting the fight as they have already formed the circle, giving my mother and Gobber enough space to move.

"You dare to lecture me about glory. You want to talk about honor? WHAT DOES AN OLD GOAT LIKE YOU KNOW ABOUT HONOR?! All you know is how to pound metal! You never understood why no sane woman would go after you, didn't you? Well, let me clear it up for you. YOU ARE A LIAR! You always lie about trolls and Bone Knappers stealing your undies when you just up and lose them. Let me tell you something else, you dried up fruit bat, Stoick never tells you anything important because you can never keep a secret!" My mom yelled infuriated but that didn't look like it affected Gobber much. If anything, he started laughing and after he calmed down enough to talk, he spoke quite quietly.

"Well, you keep thinking that, Helga. You think I cannot keep a secret? I know secrets about you that will make the village skin you alive! I may exaggerate sometimes but at least I never brag about false honor! You Hoffersons and your honor, the last Hofferson with any real honor was Finn, at least he had the decency to protect the ones he cared about."

It was no longer an exaggeration. Steam had literally begun to pour out of my mother's ears. My dad had stepped back as this had gone too far for any of us to stop this. Only Gobber and mother were at the center of the circle.

"Oh yeah, if you are so sure we are like that, tell me one time I or any member of my family did something dishonorable. If you can tell a single one, I'll set my hair on fire!" mother yelled angrily. The whole crowd gasped; my mother's hair was like mine, but longer and more beautiful than mine was.

"One time…you or anyone from your family…did anything dishonorable…" Gobber faked thinking hard. "Oh, I remember now. You say 'you' never did anything dishonorable. How about I rattle your memory a bit?" My mother looked confused. "You did do something dishonorable, Helga, that last winter in front of everyone who went to the nest. You were demanding Hiccup's capture and execution via blood eagle. You all were there; you know what I'm talking about, right?" He asked the gathering and they nodded.

"Gobber, I think that's enough-" Stoick told Gobber but he was not willing to listen to him.

"No Stoick, someone needs to put them in their place. Now as I was saying, even after Hiccup successfully led us to the nest, you still couldn't get over your pride and admit that he was right. Another thing, as soon as I told them about the diamonds which they merrily stuffed their pockets-wait, no, that ain't right, she merrily stuffed her bust with as many pieces as she could."

My mother was now shaking with anger but I saw that in her eyes that she knew Gobber had busted her and she was desperately trying to save face.

"Really? What proof do you have?" she asked.

"Four witnesses, myself included. I saw it and so did the Ingerman family; the patriarch, the matriarch, and their son. We just didn't want to burst your bubble. Isn't that right, Fishlegs?" Gobber said. I turned to Fishlegs and the look he gave me told me that he was just as ready to damage our family's reputation as Gobber was. He was unbelievably hostile towards my family and me nowadays. I didn't think Fishlegs had that in him.

"My parents, and I saw it clearly, Gobber. You're right." Fishlegs said, earning awed looks from everyone.

"Thanks Fishlegs. As the lad said, the first thing that comes out of Helga's mouth when Stoick announced the location of the nest was an outright condemnation of Hiccup and a demand for his head. When we got there, what happened? She gathered as much wealth as she could find and pretended she never said a word against that boy." He turned back to my mother and kept a lingering gaze on me.

"You Hoffersons don't even have enough honor in your blood to accept that you were wrong. You just pretend you didn't do anything." That was it. Gobber had won. He rendered my mother speechless and she was trying desperately not to embarrass herself more. Gobber turned towards me next and I swallowed audibly.

"I've dealt with you, Helga, now it's time we get to what one of your family members did, in particular, your daughter, Astrid. But then again, we all know what she did. You all threw a party for it. What you don't know is that she promised that she would have Hiccup's back, no matter what and the moment she saw that he was weaker than the lot of us, she pushed him away. I watched as that boy tried to get to her good books for years. Do you know why I gave you that axe for free, Astrid? It's because Hiccup paid for it with two years of hard labor. He even made the axe himself. What happens next, people?"

I was begging Gobber with my eyes not to speak any further, but he refused.

"The moment he prevents her, accidentally I might add, from obtaining her first kill, she damn near kills him. Before you brag that she would never do that, if I haven't pulled her off him in time, Stoick would've come home to a bloody corpse to a bloody corpse of an heir, courtesy of Astrid Hofferson."

Tears were falling down my face again. I didn't know that Hiccup made my axe. All the other stuff I already knew but hearing it from Gobber…just when I thought the self-inflicted wound had finally began to heal…it wasn't just reopened, but it was brutally stomped on as well. I could tell Gobber had more to say, but seeing as how he managed to silence my mother and make me cry in front of the whole village, he must have been satisfied.

"Well, I'll be expecting to meet Helga the Bold when I return home. As for the lot of you, find some other blacksmith to repair your weapons. With the exception of Astrid and that's only out of respect for Hiccup, you'll get no help from me."

With that, he walked away, leaving a stunned crowd in his wake.

"The search parties leave at tomorrow's dawn. Get back to work." Stoick ordered. Our family was the first one to leave the hall. As I left, I saw Bob Ingermen looking at Fishlegs with pride while his mother was hugging him, grinning ear to ear.

I headed to the cliff top overseeing the sunrise with Hiccup's chair shaped boulder. I held my axe in my hand and looked at it with tear-filled eyes.

"You forged this axe. Your blood, sweat, and tears went into this weapon, in both meanings, and because of it, I was able to kill a Monstrous Nightmare. It's actually funny, because you made it for me. It's as if we both killed that Nightmare when I decapitated it. In fact, every dragon I've killed, you've been with me this whole time. I haven't kept my promise to you, but you made damn sure you would always keep yours to me." I chuckled sadly, before clenching our weapon tightly.

"Hiccup, you will never understand how sorry I am to have wronged you. You will never know how much I hate my family and myself for cursing your name for something that was not your fault. I made a promise to you and I broke it. You did everything you could to impress me, but I wouldn't give you the time of day. I swear to you, when I find you, I'll do everything I can do, everything I have to, and everything I need to in order to make it up to you."

With newfound determination, I raised our axe out to the sea, ready to find Hiccup and bring him back to Berk, his home, and to me, where he belonged.

"I refuse to lose you again, especially to some dirty Bog-Burglar!"

* * *

 _On the Bog Islands, in Toothless' cave…_

 _Night had fallen and the ocean swallowed up the last glimmer of the sun. At that precise moment, the prison started to glow with a blinding blue light. At its source was the cocoon in which Toothless was undergoing a metamorphosis. He was turning into something new, something that, with the power of nature, would protect anything and everything he held to dear to his heart._

 _This was the final stage._

 _The whole village heard a loud whistling once and ran towards the sound. Suddenly, an ear-splitting explosion blasted the door sealing the cave-tunnel to splinters. The dust cleared and the curled up Night Fury emerged. He was twice the size as before and he had a V shaped line of scales rather than the single line of scales along his back. The dragon's scales and nostrils were glowing as well. What was most recognizable was that this dragon has two tail fins rather than the normal single tailfin that the Night Fury previously had. He was stronger, smarter, and faster than the Night Fury that underwent this change in the winter._

 _The Night Fury had evolved…into a Titan-Wing Night Fury._

* * *

 **Camicazi POV**

I ran towards the prison as fast as I could. We heard a loud whistling noise that no man wouldn't recognize.

That noise belonged only to a Night Fury and that meant Toothless had awoken.

As we were running, a loud, ear-splitting explosion knocked us off our feet and left our ears ringing. After we got ourselves together enough to stand, I ran to the cave with the others behind me. Halfway there, I came face to face with a huge Night Fury.

Toothless definitely got an upgrade.

His scales were glowing blinding blue. He looked at me and for a fraction of a second, his slit eyes turned to the kind ones. It relieved to know that despite everything, it was still Toothless. He acknowledged me before running to the village. I had a very good idea where he was heading so I turned around and started running towards my house. The villagers were somewhat shocked by the new appearance.

To be honest, so was I.

By the time I was there, I already saw a blasted door indicating the running Night Fury had already arrived. Mom's cursing made me laugh. She was rather strict on the furniture as they were a collection of the finest goods stolen from all over the archipelago. When I got to the guest room, I saw Toothless had taken Hiccup from the bed and covered him with his wings. He was trying to protect him but I really didn't think that was necessary at this point. I wouldn't tell Toothless that, though. I had hoped that he would wake up soon because of Toothless' awakening, but until then, I could rest easy knowing that Hiccup was under the protection of the all-new glow-in-the-dark Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself.

According to our culture, after becoming an adult Bog Burglar, I needed to take a younger one in to teach them the ways of the Bog. I was still young so mother would help me out a bit. We Bogs usually gave birth to girls. When a boy was born, if the father was not one we lived with, which was the commonest case, we left him at the father's doorstep after eight months. Therefore, the children are almost all girls.

 _Next morning…_

We were in route to Vinnie's house to pick up Valarie. Vinnie was one of my mother's best tacticians. She says she can talk her way out of anything from chores to fights. Do I believe her? Yes I do. I was with my mother as it was traditional for the trainer's trainer to come too. If they were alive, at any rate

"Vinnie, are you there?" My mother asked and a six-foot-tall, middle-aged woman with flaming red hair and black eyes answered the door.

"Ah Bertha, I see that you are here earlier than I expected." She asked, nodding at my mother.

"Had to. Now that the Night Fury is awake, I need to protect our food supply. He hasn't eaten anything yet and that's why I'm going to oversee the food guarding."

Vinnie grinned at that.

"Now, ain't that something. I never thought that Hiccup could do something like that. So Bertha, how's Hiccup?" she asked

"Not too bad, though if woke up, it would put all of us at ease, especially Cami." I nodded unconsciously, but soon yelled at my mother, who just ruffled my hair.

"I really think that you should consider my opinion, Bertha. By what you have said, he most likely will comply."

My mother frowned at this.

"As I told you before, we can't jump to conclusions. Now hurry and call Valarie, I'm in a hurry." she said, clearly not wanting to continue that near me. She didn't know she gave me a good reason to spy on them.

"Valarie, come out!" Vinnie said and she came out from behind the door. "Now, the both of you hold hands."

After we hold our hands, my mother and Vinnie marked a small two mirroring lines on our hands with a dagger binding us as teacher and student. It was an oath give by both trainer and trainee to do their duties as best they could. After that, mother went to the food storage with Vinnie and I walked to the barracks. The training grounds were still frozen and I didn't want Valarie getting hurt on the first day, which would be done tomorrow.

"So Cami, I hear that you saw Hiccup's goods, how do they look?" For a ten year old Bog, she wasn't too naïve.

"I did, but that's one of the last lessons. First, you need to learn the code." she rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Cami, everyone knows that. I want to know something new." I smiled, as that was exactly what I said to mother when I was five.

"Then this won't be hard…Look!"

With that, I threw my dagger up and she immediately looked at it. I stole her belt making her skirt fall to the ground and before she turned, I hid the belt behind my back. I then caught my dagger innocently.

"So…what's the point?" She asked me, clearing not understanding.

"Well the point is that you are only wearing your leggings." She understood that much and lifted her skirt. She tried to buckle it on, but she couldn't find her belt.

"How did you do that? I was wearing it quite tightly." I smiled and hand her the belt.

"That was nothing. Though you think you know our code, it's clear that you still don't know it. I even stole Stoick's underpants while he was wearing them, with some gold ol' Hiccup flair of course…"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, on Outcast Island…_

 **Alvin POV**

"Welcome, Dagur. Congratulations for your new position."

He laughed loudly and maniacally. No wonder they call him "Dagur the Deranged." Somehow, Oswald died this winter and he was strong before this ice settled in. I had a feeling whatever happened to him, his son was at the center of it.

"Yeah, it's so awarding but so tragic as well. My poor dad thought it would be a good idea to take a dip in ice cold water in winter."

Well, that explained it. He drowned him.

"Now, I didn't come here for pleasantries. Tell what you have for me or I will destroy this island with my armada!" Dagur threatened me. I had half a heart to hack him into pieces, but I need him in order for my plan to succeed. Well, I needed his armada.

"I have some information that you would find interesting. If we succeed, you get to kill a Night Fury." I was playing him. We all know that he craves rare treasures.

"I'm listening…" He sat in the chair in front of me and put his feet on my table. I absolutely hated it, but I had to play a good host.

"First, we need to attack the peaceable tribe and gather the info about the rider and when we find him, we'll find his dragon." Dagur looked suspicious. I realized my mistake and needed to get his attention off the rider, fast. "Well, there are other advantages of attacking the peaceable tribe. I hear the ladies are quite nice, if you get my drift"

He grinned with eyes full of lust. I grinned too as this was easier than I thought.

"I'm in."

* * *

 _Back on the Bog islands…_

 **Hiccup POV**

I felt sleepy. I could turn around and have another few hours on my warm and comfortable bed.

Hold on a second…I don't have a warm, comfortable bed. My bed is cold and uncomfortable.

I slowly opened my eyes, but I couldn't see a thing. I did hear a comforting rumbling noise. Oh, I might have fallen asleep in the cove with Toothless.

"Toothless, I'm awake bud." The light blinded me as Toothless quickly unfolded his wings and got up. Was I still dreaming or was Toothless actually glowing?

"Wow, what happened to you buddy?" He pressed my stomach with his snout quite hard. "Ow, what are you doing, you overgrown lizard?" Then I noticed that my left leg felt rather weird.

I looked at it and almost fainted.

I lost a leg. I wasn't Hiccup the Useless anymore or Hiccup the Handless. However, that was nothing compared to what happened to me over the course of 6 months. I met a Night Fury, ended a war, and lived through it all. Now there was only a peg leg and a rather ugly one at that. Seeing that I was worried, Toothless came closer to me and cooed to comfort me.

"I'm alright bud, I'm alright." While I patted his head, I noticed many things. His head was bigger; hell, he was at least twice bigger than I remember him. Next, I didn't know this place. Where was I, what was Toothless doing inside a house? I needed to get out of here.

"Let's get out of here." I told him and he help me balance with his head. Well now at least we are even, we both are cripples. Well, that was what I was thinking before I looked at his tail. Toothless saw this and lifted his tail, expanding and retracting one tail fin. The other was just there. Well, at least one of us had both halves.

"Seriously bud, what happened?" He gave me a gummy smile.

After a few minutes, Toothless navigated out of the house. The door lay before us, blasted off its hinges. That explained how he got in. Then I stepped outside, the village I saw was not one that I distinctly remembered, but I had a strong feeling of reminiscence.

"Well, I knew it. I'm dead." I thought aloud.

"No, but you gave it your best shot." An enormously endowed woman said, joined by a six-foot woman with red, flame-shaped hair.

"Bertha?" I asked, leaning on Toothless more as my legs started to hurt.

"You're damn right, the one and only, Big-Boobied Bertha! But enough about me, would you care to explain what a Night Fury is doing here, Hiccup?"

* * *

 **A.N.**

So I borrowed some names from DragonGirl135. Thank you for letting me barrow the names.

 **zero fullbuster** ; thanks for the review I'll try my best to get another one done before Christmas.

 **MODdenial** : thanks for the review. I have word both on phone and pc. Problem is pc one was crappy. So I installed new one and now works fine. Phone have a problem as the correction is not good at all. I use the phone as I have 4 hr train ride on some days so its productive to do this than sleeping;)

****i re-uploaded this chapter. rest will follow soon...

 **Spartan322,** **ShadowSpirit020;** thank you guys very much. i havent thought about that and i will correct them asap. i alredy corrected this chapter. if its wrong please tell me and i'll correct it again. thanks again


	13. Bog Burglar's Protection I - Staying

**Hiccup POV**

When Bertha asked me why a Night Fury was in her house, I felt like I was staring at an angry Astrid again. How was I supposed to explain Toothless to them? Actually, why haven't they killed him yet? She must have noticed my brain racing because her unamused expression became one of mirth.

"Calm down, boy, I'm just messing with you. We already know about Toothless and what's happened to you on Berk."

My brain raced at such a pace, Toothless would've burned with furious jealousy. How did "Big-Boobied" Bertha know about my Night Fury? I haven't told anyone about him but Gobber, and that was nothing but a letter. Suddenly, it clicked. A warm, comfortable dragon and two Bogs standing over me, clearly delighting my mental plight…I made it to the Bog Islands. That explained how Bertha might have known about Toothless. After all, Camicazi never kept secrets, insignificant or juicy.

"Hi, Bertha…good to see you…um, can you tell me when exactly we arrived? I can't quite remember much." I asked her. She had to understand, I was waking up in the wings of a dragon, on an island far away from ho…from Berk.

"You don't remember?" Bertha asked me curiously. The woman with red hair studied me and then she decided to speak.

"It's ok Hiccup. It's normal to forget some things. They'll return soon enough."

"This, Hiccup, is Vinnie, my best tactician." Bertha introduced me to Vinnie. "Vin, you already know Hiccup, the heir of the Hooligan tribe." I rolled my eyes at that. Unfortunately, both of them noticed that.

"Why'd you roll your eyes, child?" Vinnie asked me.

"No real reason, it just feels weird to be introduced as an heir" I told her. Even my dad didn't call me an heir aside from introducing me at the Things.

"Despite everything, Hiccup, you are still an heir, so get used to it. Why don't you go inside and sleep? You woke up after being unconscious for three months after all."

THREE MONTHS!? What the hell did I do to fall unconscious for three months?!

"Ok…Bertha, thank you for letting me stay when I arrived. I don't remember much, but I appreciate you breaking character and refusing to kill me when I came here with a Night Fury." I really meant it. If I had flown into Berk on a Night Fury, I wouldn't have put it past Dad to kill me himself. I went back into the house to sleep. Just before I closed the door, I remembered something.

"I haven't seen Toothless eat. Can you give him some fish? I mean, if he's been here for months, you probably know it already. Don't give him eels, he doesn't like it much." Bertha and Vinnie started laughing when I told them. Did I say something funny?

"We know that he eats fish Hiccup, as a matter of fact, you should pay for what he has eaten already!" Bertha chortled. Well, I was doomed. I had a good idea of just how much Toothless must've eaten while I wasn't conscious enough to keep his hunger in check.

"I will just..." She cut me off before I offered restitution.

"We'll talk about that later. Right now, you get that sleep you desperately need. When you feel better, we'll talk about other things." She shooed me off and I gladly complied. I mean, come on, this was the Bog Islands, she was the chief, and I was an heir away from home. What could I have possibly done?

I went inside while leaning on Toothless for support. After I went to the room I was in before, I was going get into the bed but Toothless already went to the corner and have opened his wings for me to come in. Without hesitation, I went into his wings, went to sleep, and my head was filled with dreams of Toothless and I flying through the sky, uncrippled.

* * *

 **Camicazi POV**

Around midday, I finished training Valarie for the day. The lessons my mum gave me weren't long, but it took a lot of work on my part to figure out what she told me. Sometimes an hour-long lesson from mum would take two or three days for me to master, and Valarie would have to master what I have told her today, which was using of a distraction to steal up to a level which will satisfy me.

At that moment in time, I was inbound to my house to check on Hiccup. I had a basket of fish for Toothless with me, as I knew he'd probably be hungry. When I walked down to my place, I saw the newly repaired door. When I went inside, I found my mom, Vinnie, and several of our village elders sitting around our dinner table.

"Cami, we've been waiting for you." Mum told me. I walked and sat down in the empty chair next to Mum. I put the basket behind my chair when I sat down. It looked like we had gathered to discuss something important. Then again, if Mum, the elders, and some of our finest warriors had gathered in the same location, then a major decision would follow, a decision that would need multiple inputs.

"So mum, what's up? Did I miss anything?" I asked her. As a Bog, I was usually quite playful, but when it came to council matters, I quickly tuned out playful me. If I wasn't serious before the council, people would lose respect for me and the last thing I needed was to divert respect away from my family.

"No, dear daughter, you missed nothing major. In fact, we decided to wait until you arrived before we got to the practical details of things. Just this morning, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III has awakened and-"

"He's awake?! Why hasn't anyone told me?" I asked her. Where was he? If he was awake, then why wasn't he here?

"Hiccup's awakening is exactly why we called this meeting. He's asleep right now. Don't disturb him, he's still trying to regain some of his memories. Now that you've arrived, Camicazi, we can get to the more important things." Mum paused for few seconds and looked around for a little bit before continuing.

"As we all know, Hiccup seems to have found some way to tame dragons. Which, to be put lightly, is a phenomenal change in our very way of life. What he has found could help us in countless ways." The people who had gathered nodded, as did I. Next Vinnie started to describe her point of view.

"Also, this kind of information is highly volatile. So, by any chance, this information reaches our enemies, it will be a disaster. We also have no guarantee what so ever that the things Hiccup teaches us will be true." What was going on? Wasn't Vinnie supposed to be on our side? Before I could ask her what she was doing, she continued.

"That being said, Bertha and Cami here tells us that helping Hiccup now would be our best option. Cami, will you tell the gathering that the reason that he will be loyal to us if we are genuine and kind with him?" That was when the thread unraveled. Anyway, I stood up and started to speak.

"You all know that I went to complete the quest to become an adult member of our tribe last autumn. I was going to steal something from the Hooligan tribe first. However, when I got there, I found Hiccup beaten and unconscious. During my stay, I learned that Astrid Hofferson was responsible for his attack. As it happened, he lost the last tether binding him to Berk." An elder stood slowly and asked me for more details.

"Camicazi, how bad was he beaten?" He gently asked me. I really didn't want to revisit the appalling sight of his semi mangled body. Just the thought of those bastards cheering Astrid on while that skank mauled him like an animal made my blood boil.

"His eyes were swollen shut. She split his lips. When I saw him, his face was completely black. He had a dislocated shoulder and…" I clenched my fists and ground my teeth, refusing to look at anyone.

"What else was there? Cami, please…" I always liked Hiccup because he was fun to be around, for better or for worse. However, after seeing him in such a state and hearing about how horribly they treated him since he was a child, I swore to myself that when I stole Hiccup, I'd never give him back. I also swore that the next time I saw Astrid, that bitch would feel the wrath of the Bog heir.

"He was hit in the crotch for multiple times. The healer said…that his family line might very well end at him. She told me he may never have children." I finished in a small voice. I didn't even need to look at them; I could feel their anger and killing intent radiating in waves.

"That's outrageous!" The elder burst out, smashing his walking stick loudly.

"We should skin that girl alive!" Our commander, Unadilla the Undefeated, yelled.

"How dare they approve of such an atrocity on such a gentle boy?!" Another elder shouted.

"The Hooligans don't deserve any form of non-aggression from us!" The elder who sat right to the previous elder bellowed.

"STOP THIS! Keep your voices down, that boy's still sleeping in this house! I don't need him waking up and hearing what we're discussing." Mum quietly yelled. That effectively shut their mouths. Vinnie started talking after my mum retook her seat.

"Now you see, as Bertha and I already know, Hiccup was the runt of the Hooligan tribe and we all know how they treat their weaklings. After that incident, he may be looking for a new life. That might explain why he bonded with a Night Fury, because the dragon showed him more affection and love than his 'brethren' ever did. All we have to do is help him recover and show him how we treat our tribesmen." She finished. The elders started to talk hastily among themselves. Unadilla was looking at me with a weird face. Therefore, I threw her a questioning look.

"No, it's nothing. I just won't judge you when you remove Astrid's womanhood when you meet her next time!"

Mum and Vinnie laughed loudly. I rolled my eyes and groaned. While it was true that I had tons of ways to make Astrid pay for nearly killing Hiccup, that wasn't something you announced, it's something done in the moment.

"Then it's decided, if he is willing to stay, he will be made a member of our tribe. Does anyone have any objections?" My mum asked. I told her about my request for him to come and live at the Bog islands. She seemed to have no objections, even with his 'problem'.

"The real problem is whether he will be willing to leave his position as heir and join our tribe as a normal villager." One of the elders asked. As I knew the answer already, I decided to answer her.

"Don't worry about Hiccup. I know him a bit and he's not the type who runs after positions of power. He does what he thinks is right, so if we are nice to him, I don't see why he wouldn't stay."

"Then if he decides to stay, he will no longer be Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III, heir to the Hooligan tribe; he will be Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III of the Bog Burglar tribe!"

Every part of my body wanted to leap for joy. If he chose to stay, he would be a Bog…He would be one of us…he would be mine.

* * *

 _Next morning_

 **Hiccup POV**

Waking up in Toothless's wings felt more pleasant than Valhalla probably did, but my pleasant feeling quickly vanished when a peculiar, yet familiar sound roused me. Was my dad here to pick me up? If not, then who was sharpening their weapon with a whetstone? I nudged Toothless's belly a few times before he woke up and opened his wings for me to exit the warmth. The sight that greeted me quickly unnerved me.

The crazy heir of the Bogs, Camicazi, and her blades greeted, all with some psychotic pleasure at seeing me. She might have been waiting for me to wake up.

"So Hiccup, care to enlighten me that why you haven't told me about Toothless while we were on Berk?" She asked with a semi-crazed look on her face. She had that same expression from the time she made me eat some strange food. In retrospect, her food was ambrosia compared to Toothless' drool.

"I…I could have told you but I was afraid that you would…I don't know…Maybe because…you would've hurt us?" I told her while rubbing my neck.

"Hmmm… well let's see, Hiccup, I don't take lightly that you did all these crazy things without me. You have to make it up to me." She grinded her swords against each other and I swallowed, audibly.

"Yeah, sure, anything! As long as it's not money, because I'm a little short on funds." I told her. I really would give her anything, as I was sure that though she was not like Astrid, evil still made up a good part of her. She got real close to my face before it defaulted into a calm smile.

"Well, for starters, how'd you find Toothless and where'd you get those wicked injuries?" She asked. Feeling that she was satisfied with the sharpness of one of her cutlasses, she stabbed the floor with it and started sharpening the next sword.

"I found Toothless a few days before you came to Berk. I can remember bits and pieces about the battle, but mostly, it's a blur." I told her. I remembered fighting the Red Death, just not all the details. I remembered killing the Red Death in bits and pieces, but after that, I don't remember anything. Hell, I didn't even remember how I got here.

"So, you did know him while I was there. Now for the battle part, who attacked you?" She asked eagerly. She seemed to be interested about my history as she was now just keeping her sword on the whetstone without sharpening it. At that moment, Toothless roared loudly. When I looked that way, I saw an annoyed Night Fury. His eyes were slits and smoke rose from his nose in plumes.

"Cami, can you hold that thought for a moment? I think if we continue this conversation, we might get roasted by an angry, and hungry, Night Fury." I told her. Toothless' mood was a major priority for me, even more so than keeping Cami happy.

"Ok, let's go to the docks, maybe some fishing boats have returned. You're paying for the fish though!" She told me and then sheathed her swords. Before we started walking, Cami gently held my arm back.

"Hiccup, about earlier, I'm not mad. You're just a lot of fun to play with and…I worry about you, alright?" Cami was blushing. Raganok was nigh.

We walked down towards the docks, and, for some reason, Cami was helping me walk. It felt a bit strange. The villagers also seemed quite pleased with my recovery. They were all greeting me and congratulating me on my recovery. I never felt this way on my tribe, hell; I never thought I'd be accepted anywhere, especially this quickly. That forty-five minute walk was one of the best experiences in my life.

"Hiccup, choose wisely, you already have to pay for over three hundred and eighty fish baskets" She smiled broadly. I felt light headed.

"Mind if I sit for a while?" I asked her. She just laughed as Toothless ate the basket she brought out merrily.

* * *

 _At the docks on Berk…_

 **Stoick POV**

The search parties have left for the search. The banishment of Mildew really spooked the people of my village. They still respect me but over the past few days, I felt as if they respected me more than ever before. Trader Johann arrived here today. I had an appointment with him to estimate the value of the diamonds. He was a trustworthy person but the problem I was afraid of was that he would spill crucial information if it were a boast.

"Once again, I've come back to Berk, the crown jewel of the entire archipelago!" He welcomed me to his boat.

"Johann, it's good to see you." I greeted him.

"For what do I owe this pleasure, chief?" He asked me and I gestured him to go into the boat.

"I need an estimate from you, Trader Johann." I told him and he understanding my gesture, he walked below the deck.

"So, what do you need from me, chief?" He asked me. The diamonds are like a public secret but I wouldn't let them know how much they were worth. We'd have civil war by the following night!

"We have recently came into possession of some of these diamonds." I picked the diamond from inside the vest and held it for him to examine. "How much is this worth, Johann?" I finished but Trader Johann wouldn't reply immediately. He examined the diamond and left me there for a while. He returned with a strange looking lantern and a box.

"Can you hand it back, chief?" I handed it back to him and then he examined it again with the strange lantern. Then he smiled at me.

"Well Stoick, this is a diamond alright, and a good one at it!" He then put the lantern on a crate and opened the box.

"This right here is the most expensive diamond I have." He showed me a small diamond about the size of a thumb.

"Do you know how much this one will be worth?" He asked me and I shook my head as I didn't know the value. I'm sure that the diamond on Trader Johann's hand must've cost a fortune.

"Well chief Stoick, this beauty right here is worth more than two hundred gold pieces!" He told me. My eyes widened in surprise.

"So chief, how much of these you can provide?" He asked me. I had to be careful. The last thing we needed was every tribe attacking our village to get our diamonds.

"It depends; we could provide about a sack containing thirty-forty pieces of these each trip. How much will it be worth?" I asked him. I noticed his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Well Stoick, it's none of my business to know where you get these, but the amount you say will be worth about two times your weight in gold."

That was a lot of money. At this rate we were going, we may as well be the richest tribe in the archipelago.

"But of course, I might have to charge a small insurance fee for the safe passage of the gold." He was a trader, after all.

"Would that piece be sufficient for your trouble?" I asked him.

"That would be more than enough. So when will I receive the shipment?" He asked me.

"Right before you leave." I nodded at him and started walking back to the top. Just before I left the boat, I turned around.

"Johann, I would appreciate if this stayed between us." I told him and he gave me a wide smile.

"My lips are sealed."

* * *

 _On Bog-burglar islands. At the docks._

 **Hiccup POV**

After Toothless ate the fish, which only took couple of seconds, we headed back to the village. Cami was practically dragging me there. I haven't said much due to a few reasons. First, I seriously have no way to pay for three hundred and eighty baskets of fish. It seems that he helped himself to the entire winter supply while I was out.

Next, I would really hate leaving here. The people were nice and friendly, but almost everyone is a woman so motherly tendencies are expected. The thought of leaving this place made me sad inside. The amount of attention on love that the people, well women in the village gave to me was overwhelming. It was like having a mob of mothers caring for you.

Finally yet importantly, Cami was acting like my girlfriend. She was short, so I had my hand on her shoulder, and she was holding me by the waist. As weird as it was, it was also nice. I think she noticed my bewildered expression because she stopped walking and looked at me.

"What's up, Hiccup?" She asked me. It surprised me that the crazy Bog that I used to play with occasionally had a sensitive side.

"It's nothing. I just…well, I feel at home here, and it hurts because I have to leave soon. It will be hard for your tribe to cope with Toothless. Cami, I-"

Cami cut me off with a punch to the gut. Toothless, who was quiet so far, growled at her.

"Dummy, haven't I told you that if you chose to leave Berk, you will be welcomed here? I'm sure that if you say that you need to stay to my mum, she'll surprise you." She told me. I would've accepted right then and there but I still had to deal with Toothless' debt/

"I still have that massive debt of fish to pay off. I could catch the replacements, but it has to wait until I figure out how to fly with Toothless. Speaking of Toothless, cut it out, bud, it's her way of being friendly." She was smiling and she shook head to both side like she found the whole thing a joke.

"You worry too much. Your problems will solve themselves. Now can you tell me where you got hurt? You don't have to do it if it's uncomfortable." She told me and she took my hand in hers. Was this how she normally acted at home or what was going on?

"Oh, about that, I totally killed the Red Death at the dragon nest with Toothless." I told her and Toothless puffed out his chest.

"I want details Hiccup, and what the hell is a Red Death?" She looked confused. I sighed and scratched back of my neck.

"It may take a while to tell the whole tale." I told her.

"No problem, we have all the time we need."

"Well in that case, let me take you back to the last raid on Berk, as far as I remember. I had finally finished my bola launcher…."

* * *

 _Somewhere in the middle of the ocean_

 **Mildew POV**

Those damn Haddocks. I would make sure that their line paid dearly for banishing me. They thought that they could shut my mouth from speaking my mind by relocating me to the far side of the village. When that didn't work, they thought that they could simply banish me just like that. They forget that I am/ was an elder. In my long life no one, no one has over me. Even the father of that idiot, chief Stoick, never defied me. Now the whole village would pay for his mistakes.

I told him not to marry that weird Valhalla girl, but to marry my daughter. He laughed at her face and married the Valhalla bitch instead. I told him to throw that fishbone into the ocean, but he kept him around. I told him to never let him enter chief or dragon training but no, he didn't need to listen to this frail old man. Now that this frail old man has figured out that he was lying in order to save that sorry fishbone, he banished me.

He would pay dearly for that.

It wasn't a lie that he found the nest, or that he found a diamond mine on the nest. But he made one fatal mistake in banishing me, he loaded me with enough supplies for a month. With the diamonds I stole, I will buy my way into the outcasts and watch Berk burn to the ground. Their wealth and greed will be their doom.

* * *

 _Nighttime, on Outcast Island_

 **Alvin POV**

"Can't you fools do anything right? How many times I have to tell you spineless worms to pack dried food!" It's hard being a leader, especially when surrounded by morons!

We were preparing our fleet to attack the peaceable tribe. Dagur would arrive at the peaceable tribe in a month and a half. If we wanted to be there when his fleet returned, we'd have to leave immediately. Taking a single ship wouldn't take too long to get there. My ship would arrive in three weeks at the most. The ships transporting the ground troops, however, they are not that fast. I told these idiots to load only dried food and what did they do, they loaded bread instead. We weren't going to trade with the peaceables, we were going to attack them and gain their knowledge of anything valuable, including the whereabouts of the Dragon Conqueror.

Savage already made it to their island as a traveler. He would find that Aconite Freespirit, kidnap him and take him away from the villagers. Then we would attack. Afterwards, I would then extract anything valuable from him and depose of the rest. In the end, when I got my hands on that Dragon Conqueror, I would rule the archipelagos and wipe out anyone in my way, starting with Stoick. Wait, no, I'd wipe out Dagur first. I couldn't let anyone try to usurp me in power.

* * *

 **A.N.**

Merry Christmas guys (I know its late, but I wish you anyway) & happy new year to all of you.

 **ivanganev1992;** thanks for the review. they call the titan wings, well titan wings for a reason. now I let toothless use his alpha mode a bit early and also gave him a little size boost. he will be very strong and fast as you will find when hiccup starts to fly him. he will not have the ability to speak with hiccup but they both will have certain advantages which will revel in the future. if you think berkians have suffer little, you are mistaken and they have quite mouthful in future. Anyway, thanks for the review again.


	14. Bog Burglar's Protection II - Reunion

**Hiccup POV**

"Then the Red Death dove down after us. I let loose the last fire barrel into its mouth and waited until it gathered enough gas. Just before it ignited the gas, Toothless shot a plasma blast into its mouth and it burned out from the inside." I told her. We talked about what happened to me on dragon Island for a whole day and now that dinner was over, we went back to Cami's place.

"That's it? You haven't told you how you got a pearl on your leg yet!" She asked me impatiently. For some reason, she kept telling me that I lost my leg to a pearl spike.

"Would you calm down, I'm getting there. Anyway, because Toothless' tailfin was burnt off, I couldn't get us out of the blast range. I told him to glide along the beach below us and then Red Death hit the ground and exploded, knocking us out of the sky!" I gestured a huge explosion with my hands.

"What happened next?"

"That's when everything went black. By the way, how did I end up here?" I asked her.

"From what Heather told me, you saved their boat from an attack by the Outcasts and told them to head here before you passed out." I scratched my chin; I did remember hearing a "Heather" on their ship before I passed out again. I seemed to have a knack for passing out these days. Then again, I had been operating on a lot less blood than normal ever since a month ago.

"So that's how I ended up here, huh?" Cami nodded. When we entered her house, I didn't expect Bertha to be waiting for us, nor did I expect a warm smile on her face.

"Well Hiccup, I heard that you had a tour of the village, so how was it?"

"It was very nice. The village was very friendly. If I haven't known better, I would never have guessed that these were the Bog-Burglar islands!" I told her with a smile, hoping that she would understand that I was joking. To my relief, Cami and Bertha burst out laughing.

"Don't get used to it, Hiccup. You are the newest male to come to our tribe. It's natural for them to like you." She told me while smiling still. Then she put on a business face.

"Do you plan to go back to Berk, Hiccup?" She asked me. I started rubbing the back of my neck. I really wished that I could stay, but dreaming could only get you so far, I supposed.

"Well…I may have to stay for a while, maybe two weeks. I have to make a new control mechanism for Toothless," I gestured first to Toothless' tail, "and a better leg for me." then I gestured to my prosthetic. "Afterwards, when I catch enough fish to settle my debt, then I will go. I'll work in the forge to settle the material and time I use to make my things." When I looked at Cami, I saw that she was not wearing the happy face that she was wearing with me earlier.

"Don't get me wrong Hiccup, if you'd like to explore the world, I understand, but I was thinking, if you liked it here enough, then we'd gladly let you stay."

If I told you I was shocked, I'd be telling you an understatement. The chief of the Bog-Burglars was offering me a citizenship in her tribe. Never, not even in my wildest dreams, did I think they would allow me to stay. Cami already invited me to stay, but I never thought that they would let me stay, especially considering what Toothless-wait…

"Actually…can Toothless stay, too? I can catch all the fish he needs!"

"Oh, we know that you will. So, will you stay?" She asked me. I stood there for a few seconds and then, without caring that she was neither my mother nor a relative, I hugged her tightly. I felt her hugging me back with one hand and roughening up my hair with the other hand.

"I take that as a yes?" She asked and I nodded while hugging her.

"Ok then, Hiccup, you can let go of me." I quickly let her go, burning from embarrassment.

"Well Hiccup, there are still a few things we need to settle if you are to stay here. Cami, bring the pearl spike." The last part, Bertha directed to Cami and she immediately went to Bertha's room.

"Hiccup, as we both know, you are not an ordinary person. You are the son of Stoick the Vast and heir to Berk." I nodded along, having a good idea where this conversation is going.

"As you know, we can't give an heir a place in our village. That's grounds for war, and to be honest, I really have no need to start a war with Berk. So if you…"

"I'll do it. I'll sign my birthright to whoever's next in line." I told her. I no longer wanted that damn position; in fact, I never really wanted it. I ended a 300-year-old war, and the only thing I wanted after that was for the dragons and Vikings to live in peace. I didn't want any other parents or children to die because of so many years of misunderstandings and senseless violence.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I think you should think more about this before you decide." She told me with concern. I sighed. I saw Cami coming to the room with something wrapped on a cloth, but I felt like I should tell them what I think about the whole "Would-be chief" thing.

"Actually, I had let go of my will to live when I went after Red Death. But, now that I'm here, I don't ever want to go back there. I'm not interested in titles or positions. I just want people to understand what dragons are really like. Even if I stay here, I don't need any position, all I need is a place to sleep." I told her, Cami and Bertha were both looking at me with their mouths open.

"Well, in that case, welcome to the tribe! Now then, let's discuss what's in Cami's hand." We sat down after that and she put the wrapped thing in front of her and started to unwrap it.

It turned out to be something white, obviously broken off from something larger.

"Hiccup, do you know what this is?" I shook my head and she continued.

"This thing is the reason that you only have one and a half legs."

"Oh…so this is the pearl spike that Cami kept asking me about?" They both nodded.

"We would like to know, how did this end up in your leg?" She asked me. My guess was just as good as theirs was.

"May I?" I extended my hand to Bertha gesturing her to let me hold the spike. She pushed it along the table towards me. I took it and started examining it.

It was about ten inches long, clearly sharp and I could see blood stains on it. After a close examination, I understood what it was. I have seen something like that up close. Last time I saw it; it was trying to rip me to shreds.

"I think this might be a shard of teeth from the Red Death." I told Bertha and she looked confident, while Cami looked confused. Cami looked at Bertha.

"But I thought this was a pearl shard! You knew this the whole time?!" Bertha smiled at that.

"Well Cami, I had my suspicions. This just goes to show you, no matter how gifted you are, nothing beats experience." Cami stuck her tongue at Bertha while crossing her hands over her chest. Nevertheless, Bertha was excessively interested about the tooth shard. Cami always told me to be careful; when Bertha asked too many questions about something, she would most probably be up to no good.

"Bertha, if you don't mind me asking, why are you interested in the shard?" I asked her. Cami and Bertha both looked at each other and Cami nodded. Cami was the one to answer me.

"Well, we think there might be a lot of gems on dragon Island, so, naturally, we would like to pay a visit or two."

They wanted the gems on dragon Island. I didn't mind that they'd have some wealth on my behalf. It was the least I could do after they sheltered me and kept Toothless safe and well fed. Say…maybe I could give them the slip for the fish I have to catch for them.

"Why didn't you say so? I can show you where it is, no problem at all. Maybe you could cut off the fish I have to catch when I finish Toothless' new tail." I bargained.

"Why Hiccup, you really do dare insult us!" Cami told me in an obviously fake angry voice. "You think after you agreed to do such a thing for us, we would ask for that? Even if we don't find gems there, we don't need you to pay us back." She told me. After a few seconds of silence, Bertha started to talk again.

"Hiccup, I would have to know, as the dragon's nest doesn't belong to any tribe, is there a possibility that we could claim the island for our tribe? If you haven't told anyone the exact location of the nest, we could avoid war this way."

That was actually quite a head-scratching dilemma. I didn't know dragon Island was chock full of gems, I certainly didn't know when I told Gobber the exact location of the nest and how to reach the island. If the tribe has gone there and found the so-called gems, then we'd definitely have war on our hands. It's crazy how things can go from "everything's alright" to "F'd up" in a matter of seconds. How was I going to get out of this one? I must've been lost in my mind because Cami's yelling brought me out of my thoughts.

"Hiccup!"

"Wha-I'm here, I'm here!"

"What were you thinking about so hard?" Bertha asked me. I started rubbing back of my neck.

"There's a good chance I told Gobber how to get to the dragon nest…"

Bertha tried to hide her shock but it was visible on her eyes. Cami though was an entirely different story.

"You are too good for your own good, Hiccup. I mean seriously, you just handed out a map to get to the place Vikings have searched for since they first sailed here, and to people who don't care for you!" Well, Cami wasn't wrong. After all, when Astrid attacked me, I saw people gathering over to where we were, and they were grinning like idiots. There were at least two people I didn't hate on Berk.

"Gobber was like a father to me, Cami, so I saw nothing wrong with giving Gobber a map to get there. In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have told Gobber how to get there because he's not that good at keeping secrets, especially when those secrets are about me and he has to keep them from their chief, but I just really wanted them to stop killing dragons." I told her. Bertha's face was blank. Cami, on the other hand, thought I was spouting garbage.

"How do you forgive an entire village because of one person? I know you're nice, Hiccup, but I never took you for dense." I don't know why she thought Gobber wasn't enough to forgive the village, but she thought as much, and it made my blood boil. He was one of the few people who made my life remotely bearable.

"It was my decision to make, Cami, and I stand by it! Besides, I'm not a Hooligan anymore, so it shouldn't matter what those fools do with themselves!"

That came out sterner than I thought it would be. Both women were surprised that I stood my ground.

"Oh. Well, what should we do now?" Cami asked, but it was more towards Bertha than me.

"First things first, we will go there with a claim stone, and if the island is not claimed, we will claim it. If a tribe has already claimed it, we will gather some gems, leave, and never return. That's how we end the problem."

I nodded at that. I then remembered something. She never mentioned how she knew that there were gems on that island. It was clear that the pearl wasn't any regular pearl, so how did she know?

"Bertha, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, what's it?"

"How did you know that there are gems on dragon Island?" She turned towards Cami and nodded. Cami started to talk while reaching for her west pocket.

"I know…because of this. This was in your arm I think." She then put something on the table.

I took it and it was blood red piece of sandstone. It was almost like…like…

It was a ruby.

* * *

 _Two weeks later._

 **Gobber POV**

I was a few days away from the Bog Islands. The journey wasn't bad, but the waters felt like frost. Then again, what could you do? It was just the beginning of the spring.

I agreed to search for Hiccup as a punishment to the village. The Outcasts wouldn't attack us so early and Oswald the Agreeable was leading the Berserkers, so it was less likely that the anyone would attack us at all. The villagers would pay for what they have done to Hiccup. No one else in the village had my expertise or Hiccup's artisanship, and yet, they would have to maintain their swords and axes all by themselves. That was a well enough punishment in my opinion. I made it clear that I will not repair any weapons from the people who threw the party to celebrate Hiccup's attack, or his supposed "demise," and as such, everyone else would suffer as a result. Even if weren't part of the party, they still could've stopped Astrid from brutalizing the poor lad.

I also chose to search for him at the Bog Islands because if he was riding on a dragon, he sure as hell couldn't come home to Berk, he'd probably stay on the islands of a friend. Cami came to our village a few weeks before he went after the nest, so, based on his condition when she arrived on Berk, she might have offered him to go there.

I still haven't told Stoick that Hiccup rode away on a dragon, a Night Fury, no less. At his current state of mind, he would probably do more harm to Hiccup than good. I was proud that at least after losing him, he got the backbone to protect his son's name against the silent threats. I hoped he was at least at the Bog Islands, because I knew he wouldn't last long under the Outcasts or on an uninhabited island in the winter.

There was an additional benefit on going to the Bog Islands. I can visit an old friend whom I haven't seen since his wife was claimed by the ocean.

* * *

 _On the Bog-Burglar islands_

 **Camicazi POV**

Valarie and I were back in the fully unfrozen training arena, which meant we could find her a weapon to fit her. Even at a young age, we Bogs trained with a weapon. We usually picked the ones we really liked above all others, even if they didn't fit us at first, we found a way to make them fit. So after an elder, in this case me, chose to train the recruit, she found the best weapon suited for the recruit. However, we often delay the weapon training because we never know how to use all our weapons to their maximum potential. The weapon they fancy becomes the secondary one if it wasn't their primary weapon. In my case, I used to train for few months with throwing daggers before my training started. That was when I found out that I had a gift for dual wielded swords, hence my deep love for swords.

We started her off with a battle-axe. I had to bite the inside of my cheek as another of that weapon had been made for the girl I swore to destroy. When testing her skills, she turned out to be a perfect archer. She even managed to hit a bullseye, and she hadn't ever trained with bows and arrows. After discovering her gift in archery, which took most of the day, I concluded the lessons. From tomorrow, she will take few tips and lessons from Sage, our blacksmith. His wife was, Malika was lost in a storm, but we still welcome him here. He is one of the best when it comes to archery or smiting. He called him "the best" until Hiccup took the title right from underneath him.

Hiccup was working in the forge completing Toothless' tail. He made a prosthetic for himself last week. It actually impressed Sage, we usually used wood to make a prosthetic, but Hiccup used some kind of a coiled metal rod the smiths call a "spring" to reduce the pressure while walking. After going to the forge, I found Hiccup's butt sticking out of a table. Oh, the temptation to kick that boy's rump was Thor-awful!

"Hey, Hiccup's butt, have you seen the rest of you? I'm sure he was around here somewhere."

Hiccup instantly tried to stand up, banging his head on the table on the process. He came out of the table while rubbing the place where his head hit the table.

"Nope, I haven't seen the rest of him. He told me that he was taking a brake today." Hiccup told in a joking voice.

"That settles it; I knew that you were always a butthead!" I told him while trying my hard to hold in my laughter.

"HEY!"

"What? Your butt looks rather cute when it's sticking out of the table" He started to protest, but shut himself up, blushing.

"Well anyway, how's Toothless tail coming along? Your lazy reptile's outside, getting impatient."

He gestured me to come over. "What do you think?" he asked me.

Upon closer observation, I saw that he was wearing a strange outfit over his usual one. It seemed significantly like the one we had to remove when he arrived here first.

"Well, if that weird outfit is something used for flying, then, good!" I told him.

"Don't insult my flight harness, Cami. I was about to saddle Toothless when the reversion for the connection rod fell under the table." Then he returned to his previous post under the table to find what he lost. I waited until he emerged out of the table. After a few minutes, he took the nail out of the table and acted as if he achieved some great victory. He even did a small jig.

"Hey, dragon boy, care to save your dance for later and see whether that reptile of yours can fly with your its new tail"

"On it, can you grab the saddle? I'll take the rest." He gestured me to grab the saddle while he grabbed a jumbled pile of ropes and metal…things. After we went outside, he called Toothless to come to us from his sunbathing.

"Toothless, come here bud." Toothless just opened one eye and looked at Hiccup, but soon closed it.

"Come on, you overgrown salamander, don't you want to fly?" He asked Toothless. The instant he said the word "fly," Toothless was up and eagerly jumping up and down. Toothless then pinned Hiccup down and started licking him.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. It was hilarious. The dragon trainer, licked to death by his dragon. I hadn't asked him yet, but, I couldn't wait to get a dragon of my own. After a while, Toothless had mercy on Hiccup and released him. Hiccup then desperately tried to remove the dragon slobber from his face.

"You…I will get you for this Toothless I will...AUUGGH!" One swift whip from Toothless' tail cut his threats short.

"Ok, OK! I give up! Come here bud, let's get this over with. Don't you want to try the new steering system I made?" Toothless was soon staying still for Hiccup to put his saddle on.

"Need any help?" I told him.

"Thanks, but I think I'll do this solo. I haven't tried this design before, so I wanna try it out to see if it has any kinks." He told me and I shrugged my shoulders. He first put the saddle on Toothless and secured the straps around his belly. Toothless's huge size was noticeable when he was staying still rather than jumping and running around.

He then took some if the contraptions he was carrying and moved towards Toothless's tail. Toothless lifted his tail a bit for Hiccup to do his work easily. Hiccup had put some ring like things on his tail fin. Then he passed a thin metal rod through the small holes on those rings. After installing a rather bulky contraption to the tail at the beginning of the tail, he started pulling ropes through the leather straps of the saddle.

"I'm all done, now all that's left to do is hope that this works."

He was clicking the paddle with his hand. The tail opened and closed as he pressed the paddle. Toothless was also mimicking the position of the manual fin. After a few minutes, they were in harmony up to the level where I could have sworn they shared a brain.

"Well Toothless, what do you think? Is it up to your expectations?" Toothless rumbled in approval. I could see vibrations running through his body from where I was standing. They were on their perfect bubble, but they forgot that poor little Cami here was waiting for them to fly.

"Ahem…it would be nice if you would fly already. The waiting is killing me." That got his attention and he started to rub the back of his heck.

"I totally forgot you were here."

"Duly noted, now fly already!" I was getting impatient. Firstly, because I have never seen anyone fly on a dragon. Secondly, the sooner he finishes his flight, the sooner I get mine.

"Alright Toothless, let's take it slow bud, I'm a bit rusty." He told his dragon. Due to Toothless' size, he had to bend down so that he could mount him. After he hooked himself to the saddle, he patted Toothless' head. With a blink of an eye, they were off.

I never thought that anyone had ever seen a Night Fury before, even more so during flight. They moved so fast, if you blinked, you would miss it. Almost everyone in the village was outside on the streets watching the sight. They soared to the sky from one side of the village to other, when they passed over us, we could hear Hiccup's joyful hollers.

Suddenly they started vertically climbing up to the sky. They were getting smaller and smaller by the second. If they kept that up, they would probably leave Midgard.

Soon, they started coming down, separate from each other!

Cries of "Hiccup!" and "Watch Out!" filled the air as they plummeted to their doom! At that speed, they would never come out alive, even if they crashed on the water!

At that moment, to our relief, Toothless spread his wings and picked Hiccup mid-flight. Soon, they were doing barrel rolls and other crazy stuff before they disappeared in to the horizon.

* * *

 _A few hours later, during Magic Hour…_

 **Hiccup POV**

I really missed the joy of flying with Toothless. When I got back on the saddle, it felt like breathing in and out for the first time. We flew for hours, did a few free falls and some barrel rolls along with getting some rest on Toothless back. He had his usual meal while flying but Toothless was much faster than I remembered.

After about a few hours, I got a strong feeling telling me to go back to the nest. Therefore, I went there.

The Red Death was nothing but a giant skeleton covered in dragonhide. Upon closer inspection, I found that the ruby that Cami showed me was in fact part of the red spikes of the Red Death. That thing must have lived for centuries to have crystallized spikes on its body. Anyway, when I searched the island furthermore, I found that Bertha was right after all. The tunnel I was going to use to lure the Red Death out of the mountain was made of diamonds. I mean, I saw the black crystalline rocks, but I never thought that they were actually diamonds covered in soot.

I would tell you that Toothless had remained calm, careful and vigilant during this whole expedition, but that would be a lie.

He blasted an entire ten-foot diamond spike to bits. I couldn't help but notice that his plasma blast was way stronger than it used to be. After filing my saddlebag with diamonds, I went back to my new home.

Magic hour meant nightfall was imminent. Every second we flew, I saw the Bog Islands getting closer and closer in sight. When I landed in front of the forge, I didn't expect to see Cami there, waiting for me. I didn't expect her to throw herself at me before I got off Toothless, either.

"Hiccup!"

She effectively dismounted me from the saddle and soon was helping me to my feet, only to get knocked back down with a strong punch in the gut. Toothless, who was used to this by now, just ignored everything. Maybe I shouldn't have told him that Cami's constant hitting was just how she was.

"OW…why would you do that, Cami? I hadn't even gotten off Toothless and you pounce on me like a lioness! Is this how you're going to greet me when I come back from flights, because…" I had a lot more to say, and I would've said more…

That is, if Cami hadn't just pressed her lips against mine.

That was my first kiss, and a Bog stole it. I didn't know how to react. Cami's eyes were closed, but not squinted. She was patiently waiting for me do something. I concentrated on how her lips tasted. I felt like all girls had lips that tasted like fruit, because Camicazi tasted like raspberries. Her hair, which normally smelled like embers, inundated my nose with the scent of fresh bread. The fires of the torches around the houses crackled gently, allowing me as much time as I wanted, just to feel this girl kissing me.

All around, at that moment, everything about Camicazi was much more wondrous than…huh, I forgot her name.

I tilted my head and wrapped my left arm around the small of her back. This allowed her to deepen the kiss. I sat up and she wrapped her arms around my neck as both my arms held her to me. After 5 seconds…, minutes…, or days, we broke the kiss and stared at each other.

I saw nothing but love in that Bog's eyes.

"I could get used to that." I said sheepishly. We then stood up and she was blushing like mad. Maybe we weren't that different.

"It's just…I thought you left us! If you ever jump of a dragon again, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, I will gut you!" I could see there was genuine worry for me behind the threat, so I gave her a warm smile, and a hug, which she returned. Besides, if she had ever liked as more than a friend, I knew it then.

"Cami, I wouldn't leave you. I will never leave you. This is the first place that accepted me for who I am, not for who someone else wants me to be. Why would anyone want to leave a wonderful place like this?" I told her. I remembered something at that point in time.

"Cami, is your mother home?"

"I think so, why?"

"I'll tell you when we get there, let's go."

 _Cami's home_

"Mum, Hiccup wants to speak to you!" Cami yelled as soon as she entered the house. Bertha soon came out of the kitchen and looked at us with a questioning eye.

"What?"

"Well Bertha, I went to the dragon nest." Cami looked at me as if I had grown two heads.

"You didn't tell me that!"

"I'm now. Anyway, I looked for gems and I found none. I think the ruby you found was part of a spike from the Red Death."

Bertha was disappointed but threw me a questioning look after seeing me smirk.

"I did, however, find a tunnel full of these." I threw a diamond from Toothless' saddlebag to her. She quickly found what it was and made my suspicions clear.

"This is a diamond. How much of it was there, and has anyone been there?"

"No one seemed to be there. Maybe Gobber thought I was joking. Anyway, if you can carve a claim stone, I could drop it there. I could leave the moment you complete it."

"Sorry Hiccup. I have to go there myself, as much as I…tolerate Toothless, that doesn't mean I'm ready to ride a dragon."

Well, there went the easiest solution.

"Maybe we can drag a small boat with you and Cami. Then we might complete the journey in a few days rather than weeks."

"Mom, I want to go with Toothless."

"If you want, I can take you for a ride around your island. We have time. You can take some nice sights."

Before I could even blink, she was on Toothless, waiting for me. Even Toothless was surprised; I mean she was like five feet tall so how could she have mounted him so quickly?

"What are you waiting for? Let's go flying!"

After I climbed on, we were up in the evening sky.

* * *

 **A.N.**

Happy new year to all of you. Any way the next chapter will be a bit loaded. Heather fans brace yourselves. She's in for a rough ride. Next chapter applies strong, very strong T.

 **ivanganev1992;** Thanks for the review. Majority of people living there are trash. Now they may clearly loose there "shiny" to the bogs. They may or may not be attacked due to some grumpy old man's information, regarding the 'shiny' they don't own.

 **EagleDragon15;** thanks for the review. Some parts may look like confusing because they are foundations for some future events. About the ones that are confusing due to my crappy writing I'm very sorry. I'll do my best to correct those things.

Point out any mistakes in my writing as it helps me improve the quality of the story.


	15. Peaceable Tribe - Annihilated!

_Two days later_

 **Camicazi POV**

When Hiccup and I flew to the nest, I felt a sensation that I had never felt before. Toothless covered the majority of our journey, although Hiccup insisted that we take a freshwater boat rather than a normal boat that we used to sail the seas. His theory was correct. The boat skipped through waves like a stone skipping on a lake. The downside, well, let's just say all things return to their place of origin, including food.

Luckily, I was riding the Night Fury with Hiccup. I couldn't say a thing about it, I was left speechless. When Hiccup fell off Toothless, something clenched my heart and nearly wrenched it out of my chest. While he was out for the majority of the day, I felt…lost. I felt like my purpose for living just vanished. When he returned, I couldn't decide what to do. I didn't know whether to kill him or kiss him.

Well, I didn't just kiss him. We made out.

I've met a lot of people during my travels, but being a Bog, one way or the other, I ended up kissing people that I barely knew. Usually I did that to steal something from them, but when I kissed Hiccup, it was… different.

Maybe it was because unlike all the other kisses, the one we shared was sincere and full of love.

A normal trip to Dragon Island would've taken four or five weeks. Thanks to Toothless, we got there in a day. We stayed there for the night and returned the next day. The boat could carry five, but Mum was the only passenger. Therefore, the rest was entirely loot. We were just outside Bog waters when Hiccup, who hadn't shown any discomfort from my hug so far, flinched all of a sudden. He also stopped Toothless' flight, making him hover on the same spot.

"What's wrong, Hiccup?" I asked worrying that he might finally noticed that I was hugging him just to feel him.

"Oh, nothing much, just the fact that a ship from Berk has arrived!"

We were stuck in the middle of the air on the back of a dragon and a Hooligan ship had just pulled into shore. We nixed landing on the docks as an option.

"Better tell Mum, she'll know what to do."

"Good idea, Cami." He affirmed. With that, he leaned to the side and soon, Toothless went back towards the boat.

"What's wrong, Hiccup? Why did you stop?" she asked him.

"Berk's here! There's a boat with Berk's crest on your dock!" He told her. I could almost see the cogs in my mum's head turning.

"Hiccup, we'll sail the rest of the journey without you. You head out and wait until it gets dark enough for you to blend in, and then come to the docks. I'll send Cami to tell you what to do then."

With that, I got off Toothless' back and he was about to leave when we noticed the boat was sinking way below the usual level. Therefore, he took a sack of diamonds and flew away with it.

"Well that settles it; your boyfriend went away with the bride price."

"MUM!" I yelled, cursing her for laughing at my plight and myself for blushing.

* * *

 _On the Bog-Burglar islands_

 **Gobber POV**

I arrived at the Bog burglar islands near midday. Bertha was not there so I grabbed lunch at the Mead Hall with some women that I knew and went to see Sage. We've a storied history between us. We both had the same mentor. He was interested in archery rather than the heavy weapons I used. Also, he knew me even before I got the hook arm.

 _**flashback**_

 _"Well, it's official. Yer getting rusty."_

 _He turned around and saw me._

 _"Well, well, if it ain't the two limbed blacksmith of Berk!" He came towards me and gave me a mighty slap on my back, which I gladly returned._

 _"What brings you to the Bog Islands? Last time I met you, you said that you are not interested in women." It was true. I still have no interest in relationships with women._

 _"Well, you know me I like to enjoy my life while I can."_

 _"Well, why are you here anyway?"_

 _"I'm here on behalf of my chief. I was sent to find information about the lost heir of Berk."_

 _He tried to hide it, but I clearly saw that he was shocked the moment I told him about the lost heir. I pretended not to notice that. Hoping that this was a good sign, I continued._

 _"So where's Bertha? I heard that she was away with the heir."_

 _Sage puffed his chest and adopted a proud, bit foolish voice. "That, sir, is classified information."_

 _"Yeah, yeah you are quite the ladies' man. I know that."_

 _"Well anyway, while you are here, why don't you help me around here? That blasted apprentice of mine went with the chief to 'assist' her."_

 _That didn't help my feelings a bit. It reminded me of Hiccup and the way he helped me. He spent the days working and pointlessly talking all the time about his crazy plans of killing dragons._

 _"What can I help you with?" I asked while wearing the spare apron he had._

 _"Well, Gobber, like old times, why don't you man the forge?"_

 _**End flashback**_

Night fell and I heard someone spotted the chief's boat coming in. So I headed towards the docks to welcome three of them though I only know two of them. In a little while after an hour, Bertha docked in the Bog islands, her domain. I was one of the front row people who were there to greet them. Bertha did something peculiar. She ordered her second in command to secure the boat and put guards to it. Why would she do that? After that and a rather not-so-sneaky nudge from Cami, she came towards me.

"Gobber, welcome to the peaceful islands of the Bog Burglars!" She greeted me while shaking my hand. To tell you the truth, I was getting a bit suspicious. Sage told that three people left the Bog, including Bertha. I only saw two, so where was the third? That was a question for later.

"Thank you, Chief Bertha. It's been a pleasure to be here, but I'm not just here for pleasure, I'm here on business." I told her, waiting to see if there were any slip-ups there. I saw none, which meant I had no leverage to ask her anything.

"Well then, Gobber, why don't we discuss the reasons for your arrival at my house over a meal?" she asked and I nodded in agreement.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, on another island not far away from the Bogs…_

 **Hiccup POV**

It certainly was nice to watch the sunset from a beach. I mean, watching it on Toothless was much better, but sometimes a small change is quite entertaining. I just sat there thinking about random thoughts.

Life, for lack of better term, works in odd ways. I mean, if someone told me that in a few short months, I would live in a village where people respect and appreciate me, an unofficial girlfriend who really cares about me, and a best friend who'd do everything he could to protect me, I would have died then and there with my laugh box exploding.

Unfortunately, no matter how wonderful this new life was, there were a few drawbacks.

I missed my dad. No matter what happened, I know somewhere underneath that mask of his, he always loved me and cared for me. Leaving him was hard enough, but I couldn't go back to Berk, especially with Toothless.

I lost my friendship with Astrid. No, that's wrong. I didn't lose my friendship with Astrid, she threw it away. To be honest, both of us deserved better.

I only had one and a half legs, but that didn't bother me much. After all, 'twas a small price to pay for a greater good. Because of it, I was the happiest dragon rider alive. If I had stayed on Berk, then there would probably be a raid today and I would only get in everyone's way. Then I would probably get a scolding set, name calls, cold stares, and beatings. Leaving Berk was one of my better life choices, so why did I feel some sort of longing?

I guess I was some sort of cosmic plaything or something.

By the darkening sky, I could tell we had been here for some time. Toothless also looked agitated. Well whatever, it was time to go.

"Hey bud, what do you think about going back to the Bogs?" I mounted Toothless who was almost eager to leave and was about to fly back when I saw something glowing.

"Wait just a second, Toothless! I saw something!"

I was soon off the saddle and was heading towards the object.

It was like a gem of some sort. It was about the size of my bony fist, the cool thing is it was glowing in several different colors. It was the second coolest thing I found, the first obviously falling to Toothless. After wiping the gem free of sand, I put it into the bag with the diamonds. The diamonds reflected the light from the gem and soon, the whole bag was glowing. It was like Aurvandil's fire, but much more colorful.

I don't know how long I was staring into it, but I snapped out of it as I remembered that I had to head back.

After an un-eventful, cold ride back now I'm closing back on the Bog-burglar island. I really should design myself an armor of some sort to protect me from cold winds, also against any possible angry Vikings or dragons.

* * *

 _Back on the Bog-burglar islands_

 **Bertha POV**

I couldn't say we weren't expecting it. We knew that Berk would come looking for Hiccup eventually, but I didn't them to start searching as soon as winter ended. Anyway, this does have a bright side. Hiccup told us that Gobber knew what really happened and now only thing that's left is for us to find out how he took it.

The walk back to my house wasn't quiet, but it wasn't too friendly either. We talked about recent developments on our islands. I left the part about being friendly with the dragons out. It wasn't wise to tell a Hooligan that we were friends with the kin that took his arm and leg.

When we got back to my home, dinner was readily sitting on the table. Being chief certainly had its pecks. Halfway through dinner, I decided to ask him why he came here, even though I had a good idea as to why.

"So Gobber, what brings you here?" I asked him while looking at him over my plate.

"I think you already know why I'm here, chief Bertha." He replied. I put my best face of confusion and looked at Cami to make sure that she was playing along. After that, I returned my attention back to Gobber.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. I can't tell what you're thinking, Gobber." I asked him somewhat sternly. Gobber sighed aloud.

"Bertha, we both know Hiccup was here. If you don't know, he left me a letter explaining that he learned to ride a dragon. Therefore, I know that there's a high chance that he might be here. If not, then at least tell me where he could be, I need to find him. I also know that there were three people on your boat, because some of the Bogs told me that they expected three back" He told us. I exchanged a glance with Cami and she nodded.

"Well Gobber, even if he is here, which you have no proof of, why would we inform you of his whereabouts? As far as I remember, just before winter, I sailed to Berk and saw Hiccup's mangled body at the hands of Astrid Hofferson. If you care about him so much, why didn't you do more to protect him in the first place?!"

I saw Gobber's face reddening. Cami pushed this one too far. Anyone who knows Gobber knows that the boy was a son to him. I could only imagine what Gobber would say if he spoke, so I intercepted him before he could.

"Gobber, don't take this the wrong way, we all know that you care for that boy. We are only being cautious for his well-being." I told him. Somehow, he was able to rein in his anger.

"For your sake, lassies…never…tell me…that I don't care for that boy's well-being." He told us coldly and I nodded in understanding. He continued to speak.

"I came here, not only on Stoick's orders, but because I wanted to. I joined the search parties and came to the most sensible place for Hiccup to go because I know what he did was right."

He finished and I noticed Cami sighing in silent relief. However, he still hadn't answered the question Cami asked him. We all had to put our cards on the table in order to eliminate any misunderstandings.

"So Gobber, if he is here, will you be taking him back to Berk?" I asked. Our plates were empty for a while, but neither of us wanted to leave without finally putting this matter to bed.

"If he's here, I won't sell him out. He didn't have the best life on Berk, so I won't take away his happiness. If he wishes to return, I will gladly take him home." He told us and I nodded.

"Then Gobber, we have no problem. He was here, we left for some personal affairs and upon seeing your boat, he decided to stay behind. He will come after sundown." Gobber's eyes lit up like a child on Snoggletog. He really did care about that boy.

"Good to hear. I haven't heard that boy's sarcasm in months and working in the forge is not as same as before without the lad to help me."

"You will see him soon, Gobber." I turned toward Cami to tell her to go to the dock and wait for Hiccup but she was not there. "Cami left to get Hiccup already didn't she?"

"I think so. How am I supposed to know what's going on with that crazy heir of yours? No offense." He added the last part to save his life, I bet. I wouldn't have killed him, though. He was right anyway.

"None taken. Being crazy is the main qualification for being a Bog chief. She reminds me of the days when I was heir to me own mum."

* * *

 _On the docks of the Bog-burglar island_

 **Camicazi POV**

Gobber's attitude relieved me. If he were insistent on bringing Hiccup home or demanding punishments for his crimes, then we would have a more serious situation than this. It would especially crush Hiccup, as that would mean that the only person he fully trusted on that miserable rock also turned his back on him. Luckily, that didn't happen.

After few minutes of waiting, I saw a faint glow approaching the docks from the sky. Is Toothless back in his glowing mode? Had he changed colors? Last time that I saw him glowing, he was blue. Within a few seconds, he was on the docks and landed in front of me. I noticed that Toothless wasn't glowing. Hiccup's saddlebag was glowing.

"Hiccup, why is that sack glowing?"

"I'll tell you later. How did it go with the one from Berk?" He told me. I could tell him now, but where's the fun in that? Besides, the girlfriend bosses the boyfriend around, not vice versa.

"Oh no, you don't! You tell me about the glow, then maybe I'll you tell about the ambassador from Berk!" I told him, albeit a bit more sternly that necessary.

"Ok, Ok. No need to get violent!" He chuckled while holding his hands up in mock-surrender. He then unmounted Toothless and reached in to the bag. He took out a stone that glowed in different colors.

"Hiccup, what is that?" He then shrugged his shoulders. What kind of a person grabs whatever shiny or glowing object he sees?

I nearly smacked my head when I realized that he wasn't a Hooligan anymore. Of course, a Bog steals something like that! Really, Cami?

"Well whatever it is, I need one too."

"I was afraid you'd say that. Toothless wasn't much of a fan of that island." Well, that was new.

"What does Toothless have to be afraid of? He is a Night Fury! You just don't want me to get a glowing stone like that!" I told him with a hint of anger in my voice.

"Cami, you know I can't keep secrets from you. Nor would I keep secrets from you. But if I don't hear about the ambassador from Berk, you won't get a rainbow stone at all!"

"So it's a rainbow stone, huh? It sounds catchier than glowing stone, I guess. The one from Berk was Gobber; In fact, he's been waiting to see you."

He looked like a kid who had just gotten their favorite Snoggletog present. He instantly hopped on Toothless and offered a hand to me so that I could get on too.

After a quick, freezing flight through the night, we arrived at my house.

"Oh I almost forgot, what should we do about the sack of diamonds on Toothless?" Well, there was no harm in leaving a sack of diamonds on Toothless. No one in his or her right mind, not even Gobber, would poke around a Night Fury.

"Keep it there. No one's getting those babies while Toothless has anything to say about it, right big guy?" Toothless snorted in affirmation. Hiccup took a deep breath, and opened the door.

"Hi Gobber what's up?" Of all the things you could've said, that was your best, Hiccup?! Gobber sharply derailed my train of thought when he hurled Hiccup into his arms and proceeded to squeeze him like a pillow. Soon after he was done, he conked Hiccup over the head with his hook arm, earning a satisfying "OW!"

"YOU'RE EVERY BIT THE BOAR HEADED STUBBORN VIKING STOICK EVER WAS! YOU'VE DONE SOME PRETTY DUMB THINGS OVER THE YEARS, HICCUP, BUT THIS TAKES THE CAKE!" Gobber bellowed. I think that might be more out of relief rather than anger.

"Well, I did take on a giant dragon by myself-" Toothless cut him off by shooting at the table, which got Gobber to jump away from Hiccup. "Alright, you overgrown salamander! We took on a giant dragon and destroyed it, ending a three-century-old war in the process. Now are you satisfied?" Toothless gave a happy warble from his throat, earning an eye roll from Hiccup, laughs from Mum and me, and a brain-fried look from Gobber.

"I was saying that us killing that dragon deserves something better than Berk. I mean, come on, Gobber, I even lost a leg. How crazy is that?" Gobber's face suddenly turned serious. I guessed he hadn't realized Hiccup was one leg short until then

"How many times have I told you to be careful, Hiccup? Now look, you lost a leg! This is exactly why I was strict with you on the forge!" He said while crossing his hook and his arm over his chest.

"Well, on a happier note, look at what I found today!" He showed us the 'rainbow' stone. How sneaky of him. Not bad for a former Hooligan, but he'd have to do way better if he's going to steal at the level of a real Bog-Burglar.

"Where did you find this, lad? Do you have any idea what it is?" He asked him. Unexpectedly, my Mum also was almost shocked to silence.

"No, I just picked it up from a beach."

"That right there is a lifetime of happiness. That's a stone of good fortune, lad." Well, that was fantastic. Now I wanted one even more. I wouldn't steal that one from Hiccup. After all, he needed it because he was…well, Hiccup.

"So Hiccup, when will I get mine?"

* * *

 _One month and three weeks later, on the waters near the Peaceable tribe…_

 **Alvin POV.**

"Why are we waiting again, Alvin? I could crush this puny tribe under my boot right now!" Dagur groaned. If this irritating little brat made me remind him of the plan one more time, I would've run him through right then and there; armada be damned!

"For the last time, Dagur, we're waiting on Savage. We need to make sure that he has the Freespirit family secure before we attack."

I couldn't fault Dagur for his impatience. We had been staying out of the sight of the village for two whole days, taking out any boat that came to see the armada. We hadn't gotten any word from Savage and my patience was wearing thin. He had one more day. If we didn't get anything by then, the next time we saw him, he'd die, whether he'd completed his mission or not.

"OH-HO-HO-HO! A BIRDY! QUICK, GET ME MY CROSSBOW!"

A birdy…wait, that wasn't just any bird. That was a carrier pigeon! The very bird that Savage said he would use as reconnaissance!

"Don't shoot th-" I started, but I was too late. He had shot the pigeon and it was falling rapidly to the water.

"That wasn't some ordinary bird, you idiot! That was Savage's pigeon! Now we have to search the ocean for it!" I was fuming. If you ever wondered how he earned his Viking name, well, there ya go.

"Alvin, Alvin, Alvin. If I have to remind you of who's in charge after this, I'll run you through myself, now listen carefully, okay? Can you hear me all right? Good." His face distorted into a scowl.

"I don't take orders from anyone, least of all, you. I'm only doing this so I can get that Night Fury and wear its skin as a hat. If I'm not in the mood to play nice, then I can easily sic my armada on your measly tribe of misfits. To sum it up, Alvin my boy, you're alive based on my whim. I'd remember that, for your sake."

I looked on in silent contempt. Every word he said to me made his grave deeper and his prospective death much more gruesome. After all, it was only a time of time before I got my hands on this Dragon Conqueror, and when I did, Dagur and his bloody armada would be first on my to-do list.

"Noted, now then, if you don't mind, could you please order your fleets to attack at sundown?" I really hoped that letter contained something along the lines of "I've got the Freespirits!" If he hadn't, well, I'd end up wiping me blade clean again.

* * *

 _On the outskirts of the Peaceable tribe's main village_

 **Savage POV**

The entire Freespirit family, matriarch, patriarch, and beautiful, beautiful daughter, all lay unconscious in my cart, which I was wheeling out to the forest. They invited a "kind-hearted-merchant," as they said to dinner and being the "kind-hearted merchant" that I was, I provided free, top of the shelf, poisoned spices to make their meal. When we started to eat, I took the remedy and watched as those gullible fools fell asleep.

How had this tribe survived for so long, they literally had no army and their warriors weren't even moderately battle ready. They didn't even have guards to protect their food or mead supplies. If we knew about this earlier, we would've raided this place a long time ago.

I knew Alvin's patience would run out soon enough, and luckily, I sent my message just before I visited the Freespirit family for dinner. I think they might attack this night. The only thing I needed to do was watch and wait until it was Showtime. I also have a rather nice looking barmaid unconscious on the cart as well. Well, she was mine. I mean, even an idiot would know that Dagur would let his Berserkers let off some steam in more ways than one before figuring out what to the with the Peaceables, so I grabbed a nice looking one to pass the time with. I was in no hurry. After all, I was in nor hurry since Alvin told me to make sure that the Freespirits were intact, especially the women.

I think they'd let me keep this barmaid as a reward for all my hard work.

I carried the cart to a cave, which a family of bears previously occupied. Well, now that they're nothing more than fur capes and blankets, they didn't necessarily need this place anymore, so I used it to wait the invasion out.

I changed back to my normal uniform. I didn't need that filthy trader outfit anymore anyway.

After the family was out of the cart and tied up. I picked up the barmaid out from the cart. After placing her on a bear fur blanket, I put a skunk sleeve near her nose so that she'd wake up.

"By the god, my head…where am I? What am I doing here?" She had the most adorable face when she looked confused.

"Honey, it's me, don't you remember?" I asked her. I had my Outcast outfit on and that must jogged her memories because her look of confusion blazed into a look of anguished betrayal.

"YOU ARE AN OUTCAST SPY! You used me to get information on our tribe!" She started crying. Oh, this was even better. I liked taking women when they were confused, but when they cried…oh, I'd burn in Helheim for this, but damned if that moment right then wasn't worth it!

"Well honey, no hard feelings. I did nothing to you. I thought I would spend this night with you." I told her in a suggestive voice. Her hand rushed to her chest in an instant.

"YOU ARE NOT COMING ANYWHERE NEAR ME!" She yelled and tried to get away. That was it; this one was perfect; she was a rare delicacy.

"First, you looked confused, then you started crying, and now you're trying to fight back." I pinned both her hands over her head with one hand. Hatred, anger, despair, and best of all, fear. All four emotions filled those grass green eyes.

"You ain't getting away from me, love."

I kissed her while she continued to cry.

* * *

 _On the armada, nearing the docks of the Peaceable tribesmen_

 **Dagur POV**

We were closing in on those ignorant Peaceables and my catapults sailed until they had reached optimal firing range. Alvin's puny catapult ships needed to be even closer than this for them to target the island. When their ships take position, we could be halfway through the battle. Then again, we wouldn't need any catapults to raze the village to the ground.

"Dagur, get aboard my ship, we won't be attacking the village in the first wave." Alvin "the Cowardly" told me. Of course, it didn't surprise me that Outcasts would try to "use tactics", "make plans" and "work together." Us Berserkers however, we fought for glory and lived for the bloodshed!

"You can hide in your girly ship, Alvin. I'll invade the Peaceable tribe." I saw that his hand was reaching for the hilt of the sword. It didn't bother me, hell, I've been itching for a fight all of two days. Imagine how disappointed I was when he didn't touch it, let alone, draw it.

"Well Dagur, help yourself. I will be leading the second wave of the invasion." I then let Alvin board his ship and I order the men to sail the ship to the front of the fleet.

When we entered their harbor, I ordered the catapults to fire at the island. It was glorious; the flaming boulders raining down on their village like falling stars. After about an hour of enjoying the view, I ordered them to stop. We could've easily flattened a weak little settlement like the Peaceables with the boulders, but where was the fun in that? So, I walked towards the sound cone of our ship so that the entire invasion fleet would hear me.

It was time to boil up the blood of the Berserker tribe.

"Hear me, my brethren. For a long time, we have starved. We have had no rights. The chains of pacifism and peace have bogged us down. However, today, I say no more, for we are Berserkers. We live off our enemies' blood!"

A loud cheer ran throughout the armada.

"Oswald the Agreeable was my father, that much is true, but he was never a Berserker. He was not a good chief. He was frail and weak, and consequently, he caused the Berserkers, a tribe known for sheer brutality to hold up a disgraceful banner of mercy. But I am not my father, gentlemen. I intend to restore our tribe to its former glory. I will bring our tribe back to the time where everyone would shudder at the sight of our sail, the time where children would cry when they heard the name of our tribe, the time when my family's name didn't mean simpering pacifism, but DERANGED ANNIHILATION!

There was another loud cheer.

"We have gone without the taste of blood for a long time. Tonight, my brothers, I bring you the Peaceable tribe's blood. TONIGHT MARKS THE REBIRTH OF THE BERSERKERS!"

The whole fleet, well most of it yelled "BERSERKERS!" and we set sails to the land. Within a few minutes, we landed on the Peaceable lands.

Without further ado, let the purging commence!

.

.

.

…or so I thought.

I was disappointed, to say the least. I mean, come on! There should at least have been an army of a few hundred in a land like this. But no! After five minutes, I got bored.

None of my kills were worth mentioning.

An axe wielder came at me first. His swings were too wide and his footing was misplaced. Clearly, he had never used an axe before. Therefore, I ducked the first swing and cut off his hands. If he didn't know how to use them, he didn't need them.

A man came at me with a spear and I severed the shaft of his spear with my axe, pulled the handle from his hand, and drove it through his belly, impaling him to the ground.

After a few minutes and a countless number of severed limbs, I found it too boring to battle on so I headed back to the boat. I don't think I delivered any kill-blows as I didn't think any of them was worthy for that. Alvin was there to greet me with a stupid look of smugness on his face.

"Quite the bloodshed, eh, Dagur?"

"Shut up."

* * *

 _A few hours later..._

 **DAGUR POV-cont'd**

"Well Dagur, we have rounded up all the women, children, injured and the remaining men from the tribe. Would you do the honors of deciding what to do with them?" Alvin asked me.

I was upset that I didn't get my bloody fight to the death, but the fact that Alvin woke me up for something as meaningless at this…I should've snuffed him right then and there.

"Hmmm, good question, Alvin. Let me think…let me think…hmm, oh, I know, KILL THEM ALREADY! CANT YOU SEE I'M BORED OUT OF MY MIND?!"

"I had a feeling you'd say that, but before we send them all off to Odin; I thought you'd like to entertain yourself with the spoils of war."

I actually hadn't thought of that. I guess everyone can be useful somehow.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Are the ladies nice on the eyes?"

"See for yourself…" Alvin cackled. After a short walk to the former market of the village, I saw the wounded and the rest of the tribe on their knees. I felt their pathetic eyes land on me, pleading for mercy. It made me want to vomit.

"You're all nothing more than wastes of skin. Burn the wounded and the men, alive, on a pyre, right here."

My men cheered for me and soon the pyre was set with the injured on the top of it. The children and the women were begging for their lives and the lives of their fellow villagers, husbands, and fathers.

They begged for mercy that would not come.

It was nice but the real entertainment was making the men walk to the fire and having them jump into it.. The faces those spineless worms made were hilarious, grown men crying, begging, and pleading for their lives. That was true entertainment.

* * *

 _In the morning, near the boar pits…_

 **Alvin POV**

Dagur always struck me as odd, but being an Outcast, I had to admit, this was a bit much. I've killed people too, don't get me wrong. I've killed many warriors and civilians with a smile on my face. I've never forced them to walk to their own doom, nor would I ever.

I was a brutal bastard, but I wasn't insane.

Above all else, that good for nothing Savage still hadn't shown his stupid face. He should have been here after the attack was over, now it's morning and the invasion was yesterday.

It was the children's turn to suffer. Last night, my men and the Berserkers enjoyed the female Peaceables. I enjoyed the quality wine and kept myself to myself. I've evolved beyond mindless savages, else how would I be chief.

Now Dagur was massacring the poor children and the leftover women. He threw them all into the boar pits and released the boars. Women and children who had their innocence forcefully stripped from them cried in terror and pleading as they boars gored them. Blood sprayed like mist, bones were stomped on, broken.

Some of them…I'll just say some of the boars had their heat.

I would never forget the pleading look a mother and three children sent my way before they died I remained emotionless as I watched this appalling debacle unfold. It was then I realized the Dagur and I were actually quite different.

I did what I did based on objectivity, goals. Dagur, he'd commit genocide as a pastime.

I suggested to him to decide what to do with the remaining prisoners, but I thought he'd be interested in selling them to Rome for gold. Again, I was wrong.

To excuse myself from this tragedy, I left the boar pits with couple of men to find Savage. When I was about halfway through the village, I saw Savage dragging a cart with the limp forms of our targets.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Savage!" I squealed with mock joy. I loved the look in his eye when he say me. He was going to say something but I grabbed him by his face and forced him to the ground.

"Do you think that you will live after you ignored my orders?!" I asked him. I was not going to kill him; I just needed him to know that no one took my orders lightly. Fear was the ultimate weapon to control animals, Vikings and dragons were no different, not even Outcasts like me and Savage.

"I'm truly sorry, Alvin! I'm terribly, horribly, fearfully, sorry! I was busy with a woman. I thought I deserved to enjoy the night for my hard work. I disposed of her and came here as soon as I could. Let Thor infuse you with the mercy to spare my meaningless life, sir!" He cried. I could see his thighs had become a bit wet, and it definitely wasn't from his "reward."

"You are in luck. Seeing that you have completed your mission, I'll allow you to live." I walked to the cart so that I could see them clearly. He even kept them unharmed.

"So Savage, where can we interrogate them? Seeing that you've been here for a while, I think that you know of a good place."

"That unburned house over there is theirs, sir. It might be easier for us if we interrogate them in their own home."

Savage did have a point. It's better to break a person in the safest place they thought they could be, given all that transpired overnight…exquisite.

What? I'm brutal and cunning, that doesn't make me halfway close to whatever Dagur is.

* * *

 _In the evening at heather's house._

 **Heather POV**

The last thing I remembered, we were dining with the new trader that came here a few months ago. Upon awakening, I couldn't remember anything. My mouth was gagged and my arms and legs were tied. I also had a cloth over my eyes, so I had no idea where I was. The only thing I could do was inhale the disgusting odor of burning flesh. I had no idea what happened last night.

I had no idea where my parents were!

I don't know how long I was there or when I fell asleep, but I did know I was in my parents' room, tied to a bedpost. My Mum sat next to me, restrained as well, but it was only us two. I didn't know where Dad was. At least I could see.

"Heather, wake up. Wake up darling, quickly!" She was shaking me. Her leg was locked in an iron shackle but her arms were free, then again, my mother's slender arms couldn't break the shackles and get us out of here. She removed the cloth covering my mouth quickly. I couldn't escape either because my arms and hands were bound and I had shackles as well.

"Mum?"

"Yes honey, I'm here, now listen to me closely!" She told me in a serious tone. I had so many questions.

"Mum, what's happening? Why do I have these shackles and binds on me in your bed? Where's Father? Why do I..."

I was going to ask everything but she put her hand on my mouth, telling me to shut up.

"They want to know where this 'Dragon Conqueror' is. I think they're talking about Hiccup. Heather, listen to me, baby. You can't tell them where Hiccup is. No matter what happens to your father, or me, do not let them find out about him, darling! That boy's been through too much for the Outcasts or the Berserkers to get their hands on him!"

I have never seen her this serious. She was always kind and compassionate. I have rarely seen her acting violently, but at the time, the eyes the held so much compassion and understanding burned with a fiery rage. I was going to ask her what she meant when an ear-splitting scream filled the room.

"Mum, what was that?" I asked her. She clenched his fist, doing her best at preventing the tears from falling from her eyes. Then a voice boomed through the house.

"Tell me where he is and I will have mercy on you and let you die quickly."

"Alvin, how many times do I have to tell you? I won't and my wife won't either. My daughter doesn't know. So, good luck finding him."

I realized the gravity of our situation. The Outcasts had caught us and held us for interrogation. Mum, seeing my eyes starting to leak, understood that I have figured out exactly what was going on.

"Honey, the Berserkers and the Outcasts invaded us. The night of the invasion, all of the men burned on a funeral pike. The women and children, they…they…" My mother started to sob. I couldn't stop the tears anymore and I was really glad my mother didn't elaborate. She held my face and looked me dead in the eye, the rage that had filled them nearly extinguished.

"We are the last of our tribe, Heather. Now they're torturing your father to find out where Hiccup is!"

This was unacceptable! What have we ever done to deserve any of this?! What has my father done to deserve his torture?! He was the most loving, caring, compassionate father on the island and to make matters worse, he always chose not to fight! Not that he couldn't, he just used violence as a last resort. How could anyone do anything like this?!

"Mum, we have to save him!" I told her but she shook her head while cupping my face. I felt she was going to speak but my dad's new set of screams cut her off like a scythe through flesh.

"Hey Dagur, have you heard that cooked meat tastes better than raw?" Alvin asked in a taunting voice.

"I do like freshly cooked meat." Dagur oiled, and then my father started screaming his throat raw. What were they doing to him? I was holding to Mum, crying as hard as I could but Mum was acting weird. She was crying, but her face had hardened. The tears were silently leaking like a river, rather than a ravaging storm.

"So Aconite, are you willing to tell me now where he is now?" Dagur asked with mock joy in his tone.

"No…I…WON'T!" Dad screamed.

"You're really hard to crack, I'll give you that. It's a shame you don't know how to fight, otherwise I could've entertained myself some more. But rest assured, eventually, you will crack, they all do."

"LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU BASTARDS! HE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG!" I screamed. I wasn't sure if they could hear me, but my mother quickly covered my mouth.

"Honey, we can't help him. He's being strong for the both of us, love, so be strong for him. Your father is much stronger than our tribesmen believed. He was a Roman commander after all."

"What? What are you telling me, Mum? Dad's not a former bloodthirsty Roman. That's impossible."

"I'm sorry love, but he is. Now listen. Even if it kills me, I will get you out of here and off this island to safety. Just promise me one thing."

"Mum..."

"No Heather, listen." She cupped my face again. "No, you are not of our blood, but it doesn't matter to us because your father and I love you so much. We did when we first saw you, we do now, and we always will, and these monstrous savages do not have the power to take that away. Now, promise me that you will warn Chieftess Bertha about Alvin and Dagur. Promise me that you will tell her that they are after the 'Dragon Conqueror.'"

I didn't understand, what did this sound so much like a goodbye? Hiccup…what did he have to do with it? Why did she keep referring to him as the Dragon Conqueror?

"But Mum, we can get out of here with dad. I know you both are warriors, we can fight our way past them-"

"No love, your dad and I are long gone. We should have died years ago, but this is not your time, so you must live for the both of us."

I didn't understand anything anymore. She was literally asking me to do something I couldn't even think of doing. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice my father's screams had ceased.

"Now it's time you learn about your father and me. We were never born here. He was a Roman commander. He was the leader of the fourth great legion, Commander Maximus Decimus Meridius. I was a gladiator, Achilliea Bloodlust. I was born as a gladiator. We both left Rome because we were both tired of the worthless blood spilt." She lowered her head and let out a humorless chuckle, but when she raised her head, I felt my heart shatter into pieces at the sight of her broken smile. I was going to tell her to cut the crap, but we heard Alvin's voice, not as a distant yell, but from behind the closed door.

"Well Aconite, it seems we have to bring in the ladies after all." With that, he entered the room and walked towards Mum. Dagur followed, as did the fake trader we invited to our house.

"Well, Miss Ivy, let's see if you can make him see some sense." Alvin tried to intimidate her, 'tried' being the operative word.

"You can burn in hell, Alvin." She looked at him with orbs full of hatred and spat right in his face. If my mum didn't have those damn shackles on her, Alvin's head would lie right at his feet. With a snarl, that bastard struck my mother with the back of his hand, forcing her to the ground. I tried to run towards her, but I shackles stopped. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but I didn't even understand my own speech. Dagur walked towards me and grabbed my hair, yanking me to eye level.

"Wait your turn, whore! There's enough men around here for the both of you."

His fist flew towards my face, and then it all went black.

* * *

 **A.N.**

I am very sorry that this chapter was this late. I was unexpectedly busy for last month and had to pause writing this thing. So here you go another chapter. This battle was not explained much as this battle was a small, few hours long one. Important part was the interrogation. As this was long chapter I had to split this in two maybe three.

As always constructive criticism is very much appreciated.

 **Guest** ; Thank you. Glad that you liked the chapter. Hope you like this one too.


	16. Unbroken

_On Berk, beside the seaside…_

 **Astrid POV**

The sun had just set here on Berk.

I've had a lot of bad days, but today was by far the worst. I didn't think I could've had a worse day than the day I jumped Hiccup like a rabid wolverine. It wasn't as bad as today because Gobber had prevented me from pulverizing my best friend to death. I knew what I did was wrong, but I had resolved to fix it, bring back what I threw away. Hiccup hadn't died because of what we did, therefore I still had a chance.

When we failed to find Hiccup, I knew my chance had long gone away.

We went to search for Hiccup but we had to return as Snotlout got quite a blow from my dad. I thought I would snap from his constant flirting, but surprisingly, my father did. Of course, Snotlout couldn't take a hint, so my dad told me we were heading home. Well, after he knocked some sense into Snotlout, of course. If I had my way, I would've kept ignoring that idiot. Finding Hiccup ranked higher on the priorities list than dealing with Snotlout's ilk. Unfortunately, my father's look of determination silenced all protests I had.

The reason for his behavior surprised no one. Gobber tore the honor of our family to shreds and therefore, Dad was extra protective with me so that someday, I would marry into a wealthy family and have a blessed life. That wasn't the case, not for me, anyway. I wanted to marry one boy only and that boy decided to end a 300-year-old war against a behemoth of a dragon.

When we got back, I didn't realize how fortunate we were to call off our search before hearing about what happened to Hiccup.

The Outcasts had captured him while he was mortally wounded and since he didn't have anything of use to offer them, they had dropped him into the ocean. The Bog-burglar tribe's heir, Camicazi Lightfinger, recovered his waterlogged body. The Bog-Burglars sent him off to Valhalla, but his trip to the table of the Gods fell short when he hit Berk.

That set off a chain reaction of events.

For one, they were no longer allies with us. Cami's arrival during Hiccup's coma made her aware of what I did to him. In addition, Gobber told us that while Hiccup's body was rotting, his journals had made it through.

Hiccup's journals reaching the Bogs also had its consequences.

Those dirty Bogs have claimed the Dragon Island in their name. That was a hard hit on our tribe, because that mine would not be ours until we claimed it and since finding Hiccup meant more to us than diamonds, which still does mean more to me, we didn't send anyone to keep watch over it. We sent Hiccup off to die; now karma has returned to bite us, and it bit hard. We lost my best friend, we lost an ally, we have lost our treasure, and now, Snotlout's next in line for the chiefdom. I think we were better off when those damn dragons raided us every three weeks. Fishlegs' search party hadn't returned, either. Granted, they weren't due for another two weeks.

Gobber told us that Hiccup no longer walks among us, and he had a letter saying that the Bogs have dissolved the peace treaty because of how poorly we treated him. My heart, however, it spoke a different language. It refused to believe that Hiccup has passed. If he was alive, he was probably keeping his distance from us. If he was dead, then I knew I wouldn't stand living in a future without him. Neither my heart, nor my body would allow it.

Today, we paid our final tributes to him. We said goodbye to Hiccup forever and hoped he would watch over us from Valhalla, seated next to the Gods and his loving mother. That was only the beginning of what he deserved for what he did not only for us, but for Vikings all over the world as well. Most of the villagers came out of fear for banishment, not respect for Hiccup.

I had no desire to attend. I only attended due to duty. It wasn't right to pay my last respects to a person I believed to be alive. Gobber hadn't joined us for the ceremony, he had attended the ceremony on bog when they float hiccup away to valhalla. I didn't understond how they could float him away to Valhalla in the beginning of the spring while Hiccup went missing in the beginning of the winter.

Maybe that was a sign to keep hoping that I would see him again one day.

I wish I had stayed home with my mother. She hadn't come out of the house since she had to burn her hair off to salvage her dignity. I couldn't blame her, Gobber's "talk" really hit her hard and true.

The day was sad, the ceremony was sadder. Today was the worst day of my life. However, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse for me…

It happened.

* * *

 _On the ocean, near the Bog-burglar Island, nearing sundown_

 **Camicazi POV**

Many things in this life brought joy to my heart, and racing against Hiccup quickly made it to the top of the list. However, as fun as it is, no Bog, no matter how skilled, stood a chance against a Night Fury.

Unless, of course, I didn't play fair, and Camicazi Lightfinger never plays fair.

I had befriended Footprint, a Changewing, a few days ago. After the lap around the island, which Hiccup started to complete in blink of an eye, we just waited till he was out of sight and went through the island rather than around it. By the time he was nearing the finish line, we just removed our camouflage and crossed the finish line.

"Oh come on, Cami, again?!"

Fake anger painted his face as he leapt off Toothless, who was still not on friendly pages with Footprint because of what happened on the day I found him.

"Hey, I never said that it was necessary to complete the course. I just said, "Whoever comes to the plaza first wins!" Therefore, I win." I told him while idly rubbing Footprint's head.

"Come on. Where's the spirit in all this?"

"It's in front of your face, dragon boy! As my mother always says on annual Freya-fest games, 'May the Viking who cheats best win!'"

"Good thing that I have no faith in competitions or races, they just make people fight against each other." I looked at him incredulously.

"It's the truth. I mean why can't we just train without competing?" This dude was pacifist incarnate.

"Hiccup, I know that you have best intentions in heart, but you better leave the commenting about sports to people who understand it."

Two loud burping noises filled the air. If there's one thing Footprint and Toothless always agreed on, it's that a full dragon is a happy dragon.

"Ok, Ok you useless reptiles, feeding time it is." Hiccup told them while giving Toothless a good rub under his chin.

I would say that these last few weeks have been mind-blowing, but then I'd be lying. Gobber stayed for a while and left, promising us that he would not reveal Hiccup's location or the fact that he was alive. Mum dissolved the peace treaty between the Hooligans and us. She said that now that the Bogs had made peace with dragons, it would be unwise to be at peace with a tribe wouldn't change their views on these creatures, even if Raganok came. However, I knew better, she did that also to get revenge on what they did to Hiccup.

Additionally, we knew how Berk got their jewelries and other ornate and precious things. Now Dragon Island belongs to us, as well as all the riches they contained. If it wasn't for their timber, they'd be the poorest tribe in the whole archipelago.

The best thing about everything was the Rainbow Stone that Hiccup found. Unfortunately, that "stone of good fortune" was actually a stone of misfortune. In fact, I can tell you right now, I'd be dead if things didn't unfold the way they did.

 _**Flashback**_

 _"That's the island, that one over there." He pointed to an island to the left of the way we were flying. Flying in the morning gave us a clear shot of the sun reflecting of the ocean and falling on the island. It was a beautiful sight. From Toothless' point of view, everything was different and more beautiful than what I normally saw. I really wanted to have a dragon to call my own though. Perhaps my stone of good fortune would give me a dragon soon._

 _"Ok bud, let's land there." He pointed towards the beach. I couldn't help but notice that Toothless was looking rather agitated. Toothless may have a petrifying reputation, but he didn't always keep his eyes in slits during flights…right? Hiccup dismounted Toothless and started to walk to the edge of the beach._

 _"This is where I found the stone, but it looks like may have rolled out to the beach from the inland." The rest of the beach was higher than the area we were at and there were plenty of trees grown on the sand. It almost looked like a forest rather than a beach._

 _We started walking towards the beach-forest but when we took a few steps towards the beach, Toothless stopped following us and fell into a stance, growling...but at what? He looked confused but kept growling in every direction._

 _"What's it bud? What's wrong? Is something here?" Hiccup asked. He gave me his satchel and stopped to calm down Toothless._

 _"You go ahead Cami, I'll try to figure out what's bothering him." Toothless hadn't moved an inch, but Hiccup got through with his silly pep talk and the chin scratchy-thing._

 _"Ok, just make sure he's fine. I'll scout the area and see whether there are any more stones lying around."_

 _I walked closer to the edge of the forest hoping that I will get a stone like the one currently on my- well Hiccup's bag. Suddenly, I heard Toothless release a plasma blast which exploded somewhere to my right!_

 _"CAMI! STOP MOVING!" Hiccup yelled from behind._

 _"Why, what's wrong?" I asked him stopping dead in my tracks._

 _"There are foot prints following you! Don't move!" He replied. The way I saw it, he was almost peeing his pants because of it, but why would footprints appear in the ground behind me? I brushed it off as one of his jokes._

 _"Not funny Hiccup. I mean first Toothless, now you. Aren't you supposed to help me find a gem of good fortune?" I asked him, annoyed._

 _"I'm serious. Look. There are dragon prints following you." He pointed to a place near the spot Toothless shot. I decided to roll my eyes and look at the spot, if only to appease him. Strangely enough, there were dragon prints where he shot. To make it more puzzling, I saw new prints appear, getting close to me out of nowhere. That wasn't right, at all. How could dragon footprints follow me? Hiccup was trying to get closer to the footprints, but after his first step, Toothless pinned him, stopping him from moving forward._

 _"Toothless, get off of me. I need to check that out!" In response, Toothless sent a ring of smoke at his face, making him cough like mad. Toothless laughed draconically, though his eyes never left the footprints. I was watching the whole thing, doing nothing because I had no idea what to do. I was one of the best warriors on my land but I had no clue what's going on. Suddenly, the tracks stopped and started to move towards Hiccup and Toothless. Toothless released a plasma blast in a blink of an eye. I felt a gust of wind and the plasma blast just met empty space._

 _It was then that I understood just what we were dealing with. I confirmed my theory when I saw a dragon mouth open in a blink of an eye and sprayed boiling acid towards Toothless._

 _"Well, we're dead. That's a Changewing!" Hiccup stated. Then it occurred to me that the Changewing was following me before it attacked Toothless. It turned around to him because Toothless attacked first._

 _"HEY CHANGEWING! It's me that you are after, ain't it? So why are you wasting your time on them?"_

 _The Changewing materialized out of nowhere. It was a huge, angry looking, bloody red killing machine. What I didn't notice was that other Changewings had also appeared, surrounding me. I also noticed that the Changewings were near trees with glowing gems._

 _STONES OF GOOD FORTUNE!_

 _I understood everything then. The gem was never a gem; it was a Changewing egg. Thanks, Mum and Gobber, you have doomed us all. A Changewing stared me down, ready to reduce me to a bubbling pile of flesh. The others hissed and circled me, ready to do the same. Seeing that there was no way out of this, I just did what any sensible person would do._

 _I kneeled down in front of the dragon._

 _This was stupid, but I really couldn't come up with anything else to do. We Bogs hated admitting defeat, and we still do, but even we knew when to fold 'em, no matter who we were._

 _The Changewing in front of me stopped moving and started staring at me. After a while, I changed my gaze to his eyes to his feet and he started to make some strange chipping notices. Soon a violet-brown Changewing flew, disappeared, and reappeared right in front of me._

 _That Changewing seemed pissed. Perhaps I had its egg. Being a girl, a certified tomboy but a girl nonetheless, it felt better to hand over the egg and face a less angry Changewing mother than to wait for the burning angry Changewing mother to take the egg from my corpse._

 _"Hey Changewing, I mean you no harm. I really am sorry that we took your egg. Please don't turn me into a puddle with your hot acid." I pulled open the satchel. The Changewing started to growl and I can hear growling noises coming from everywhere._

 _When I pulled out the Changewing egg, all hell broke loose._

 _The Changewing in front of me gave an ear-splitting roar, stood in her hind legs, and extended her wings fully. I pushed the egg through the sand as far as it would go and hoped that maybe, just maybe that she would spare my life. I heard the Changewing inhaling a huge amount of air. On a normal day, I would ask why acid spitting dragons inhale a huge amount of air, but today was abnormal, so I didn't really care. I couldn't even look death in the eye as I was frozen while looking at the sand under me._

 _"ROARRRRRR!"_

 _That roar alone nearly knocked me out. I looked up involuntarily and saw the huge red Changewing hovering over me. He was glaring daggers at the Changewing in front of me. After some chipping noises and soft growls from both sides, the mother Changewing came in front of me and after giving a puff of stinking fish breath to my face, she picked up the egg and flew away. I couldn't believe my eyes and when the Changewing disappeared, the egg also vanished out of thin air._

 _I took a deep breath, and another, and another. I realized that I was breathing. I moved all my limbs. So, aside from a giant roar, I was unscathed. When I looked at Toothless and Hiccup, all greedy thoughts off a good luck stone went out the window. It was Hiccup's fault that a dragon nearly melted me. I felt like hitting him, and I would later, but…I still cared about him. He couldn't have known the gem wasn't a gem. Still, I deserved some restitution for what he unintentionally put me through._

 _I just resolved to be extra hard on him during training._

 _**end flashback**_

After that incident, the red large Changewing followed us for a few days and soon, with Hiccup's help, he became my very own dragon. Now then, fast forward to beating Hiccup and Toothless a few days later. Well, not beating, more like cheating so that we won. I think the Changewing would make a great symbol for the Bog-Burglars.

"Now that we have beaten you, don't you think it's time for your afternoon sword training session?" I told him while walking to the dragon feeding station, which he and Gobber built for the dragons. The residing dragons felt that this was overdue, but I knew getting to the front of line would so be a problem, seeing that the majority of the villagers were practically begging the 'dragon trainer' to teach them to train their dragons. Even Mum hinted him that the best way for him to ask for her blessing in marrying me was to find her a Changewing like Footprint. We were…a semi thing, but it made us blush up a storm nonetheless.

"Do I have to?" He asked me while rubbing the back of his neck.

"You bet your butt you do! Besides, Val's way ahead of you and she's only ten!" I knew that when I reminded him that a ten-year-old girl was constantly beating him in training, he felt a bit ashamed and put some extra effort in his work. He always was a bit stony when it came to pride, but he was a humble, down to earth kind of guy.

"Ok, fine. I'll entertain you with my suffering for a while." He submitted, walking towards the training grounds.

"Toothless, stay here and have a nice nap. I'll give him back in a few hours." I told Toothless. He rolled his dragon eyes and continued on munching down the salmon. I went after Hiccup after giving Footprint a pat on the head.

* * *

 _On the isle of the former peaceable tribe, in Heather's home…_

 **Heather POV**

A bucket of water woke me from unconsciousness. I was groggy and didn't remember what happened to put me out.

"Wake up Heather, don't you want to say your last goodbyes to your father?" An oily, disgusting voice rumbled. I slowly opened my eyes and as soon as I saw it was Alvin, I went from semi asleep to high alert.

Then I noticed why I was feeling weird earlier.

I hung on the rafters with chains tied to my wrists; my toes barely touched the ground. I also noticed that my eyes were uncovered as before but I had a wad of cloth in my mouth and a strip preventing me from spitting out the wad of cloth.

When I looked around other than three people standing in front of me with smug/maniacal grins on their faces, I almost wanted to faint. As luck would have it, I didn't. I looked on the table to see my mother.

No human could stomach the debacle that lay before me.

She was barely recognizable. She lay on her back and I saw bits and pieces of flesh everywhere on the table and the floor along with the blood. The sight of her eyes horrified me, once, a green forest had filled these with beautiful kindness and love, but all I saw were dark, mutilated, unforgiving sockets staring back at me. I have heard tales of men cutting open the stomachs of dragons and drinking their blood. My mother must have lived out that fantasy while I was unconscious as her intestines hung from the ceiling.

How could anyone do something like that to any one? How could they leave them like this? I retched, but my mouth was gagged, so my bile exited through my nose. It was pure terror, I felt my own insides clench as I choked own my own vomit.

Alvin, Dagur, and that fake trader looked on in delight and slight arousal. I had never despised anyone in my entire life more than those three abominable excuses for Vikings at that moment. If I could get free of these binds for at least a second, the last thing those three would ever see would be the tip of a knife!

"I see that you are enjoying the view." Alvin said while rubbing his hands together. "That right there is the handiwork of this nice trader you invited to dinner." He said pointing at the trader.

"What can I say, Alvin sir? I really loved the food, and thanked her the best I could." He said with mock politeness causing the other two to burst out laughing. "Well Heather, where are my manners? I haven't even had time to introduce myself. I'm Savage, Alvin's right hand man and top spy."

"We trusted you, you traitorous son of a bitch! We even invited you for dinner, and this is how you repay us?!" Alvin interrupted my train of thought.

"Now that we know each other, you might be asking yourself, 'Why am I chained?'" I would be wondering that, if not for the fact that my mother was all over the place! After a small pause, he continued. "I don't know if your whore mother told you, but we're here to learn of the whereabouts of a person we've come to call 'The Dragon Conqueror.' Unfortunately, I didn't expect your father to be this tough. You could learn a thing or two from your old man there. He surely is a tough nut to crack." He paused for few seconds and studied my face.

"It's been a long time since I had to break someone as strong as your father. I really like it. He held his tongue all the way through, even while Savage here was tearing your mum to bloody pieces!" They all shared a laugh at that. After a while, the leading bottom feeder sighed fondly. "She was a tough one too. I almost wish she wasn't dead. A woman like her...only comes once in a lifetime" When he licked his lips after talking about my mother like that, I wanted to puke again. He smiled wider seeing as he got the desired reaction out of me.

"But enough about that, I came here in order for you to help us. I was going to torture you and kill you any way; no hard feelings, but I just can't let anyone survive. Though, I never expected to hold out this long. But he'll wake up soon and when he does, I want you to scream as hard as you possibly can. Beg for all of this to stop. Can you do that for me?"

I shook my head in denial. This subhuman maniac would get nothing from me, even if the alternative were death! However, all he does is laugh.

"Let's see how long you can keep up that attitude after Savage brings out his toys. I think Aconite's slept enough, Savage, why don't you wake him up so we can find out how much he loves his daughter."

"Righto, sir!" Savage told him and grabbed two buckets, one filled with water, the other one…

The other one was blood…Mum's blood.

"As you can't see your father Heather, I'll tell you what I will do. First, water…"

I heard a splashing sound. I faint moaning came from my father and Dagur started laughing like a maniac.

"Followed by…the essence of your sweet mother!" I heard another splash.

"Aconite, don't ignore this. You'd really dishonor the memory of your lovely wife?" Savage asked mockingly.

"GO TO HELL, YOU BASTARDS! I WILL NEVER TELL WHAT YOU WANT! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, EVEN I HAVE TO WALK BACK FROM HELL!"

I felt my blood boil not because of my father's screaming, but because of Alvin's chuckling. He sat on a chair and enjoying the whole thing.

"Don't worry, Heather. Savage is the best man for this kind of thing. I think Dagur here also will help in a while…" Alvin told me, catching me look of boiling hatred.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER, YOU IMBECILES?! YOU WILL PAY DEARLY IF YOU DON'T LET HER GO!" My father screamed. That make Savage laugh.

"Well, well well…have I struck a nerve, Aconite?" I could hear my father gritting his teeth, even from here.

"You know very well what you need to do to let her go, Aconite. Tell us what you know of the Dragon Conqueror, then we'll let her go."

I loved my father very much, but I was hoping that he would not tell them to find Hiccup. If he told them, then our tribe died in vain. The least we could do was to honor the innocent people that these demons have slaughtered.

"I'm sorry, Heather. I love you very much. I love you more than anything in the world…but I can't tell them what they seek."

I know that was the truth, I know he was right. I was glad he hadn't let our tribe down. Hoping that he was looking at me, I nodded continuously hoping that he understood me.

"Well then, I hope you will die happily knowing that your daughter suffered and died because of you." Savage told my dad and I felt footsteps coming closer to me.

"You see, a nice flower like her, she needs tender care, don't you think so, Dagur?" Savage asked and Dagur licked his lips.

"Sure they do, and there are so many options, too!" Dagur chortled maniacally, lost in his imaginary world. Seeing this, Alvin cleared his throat loudly.

"I got it, I got it. Help Savage do his work. I swear, fun really skipped your generation." He told Alvin. I heard a scoff. My brain shot danger signals throughout my whole body the second something cold ran across my tunic.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, BASTARD!" My father screamed. I swallowed loudly. This was where it began.

"OH my, where are my manners? Allow me to demonstrate." He told him. He grabbed my tunic, lifting it up from the waist.

"Sorry dear, but you are wearing too many clothes for our liking." With that, he started cutting out the tunic with that cold object which I think is a dagger. After a few struggles and my father screaming out a colorful assortment of curses for a few seconds, only my leggings and breast binds remained.

"Well Aconite, any changes of mind before we begin?" He asked my dad.

"I WILL TELL YOU WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER!" Dad screamed.

"Just making sure that you know what you are going to do to your daughter." With that, he started to drag the flat of the dagger on my skin. I felt filthy. I felt cold. If I wasn't hanging from my wrists, I would've kicked him so hard, he wouldn't have a chance to have an heir!

"When our tribe was started by the first Viking tribe, they branded us with the Outcast crest so that wherever we went, we'd be recognized as Outcasts and killed on sight like dragons."

"PRAISE THEM! I WILL THANK THEM WHEN I MEET THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE!" Dad yelled. Savage sighed and it pleased me to know that my father's will irked him.

"I'm sure that you will after I'm done with your daughter. Now as I was saying, it has haunted our ancestors for generations. Nonetheless, not only have we embraced it, now we even share it" He walked towards the hearth that was on the other side of the room behind Alvin and picked up a poker with a red-hot Outcast brand.

GODS ALMIGHTY, HE WAS GOING TO BRAND ME!

"DROP THAT THING, YOU COWARDLY, FILTHY OUTCAST! YOU'RE SO BAD AT GETTING A SMALL PIECE OF INFORMATION OUT OF AN OLD MAN THAT YOU NEED SO YOU BRAND A INNOCENT CHILD?! 'OH, HOW THE MIGHTY HATH FALLEN!'" He yelled. Savage ground his teeth. He looked at Alvin for some reason and Alvin nodded. What did Alvin just permit Savage to do?

"Indeed, 'how the mighty hath fallen.' How the mighty FATHER hath fallen!" Savage spat, the branding iron drawing ever closer. In a few seconds, these inhumane wastes of flesh would mark me as one of them. It came closer as I shut my eyes, nerving myself for the searing pain. It took everything I had not to cry at the thought of bearing a false identity for the rest of my life. I would wear the name "Outcast" until my dying day.

Then, as quickly as a stone across a pond, the cold nothingness came back to me.

"Sorry lass, I almost forgot. Dagur, untie her mouth. I may be ruthless, but no child should be kept from speaking to their father, especially when neither of them has much time left…" The quick look on anger on Dagur's face filled me with satisfaction. He came to me muttering something about teaching a lesson to someone. He then got unbearably close. That disgusting pink organ emerged from his mouth like a snake and slithered up the lobe of my right ear.

"You have a really lovely stomach. I really hope I get to see more of you later." He slithered. As soon as he removed the cloths covering my mouth, I spit in his face, earning a snarl. Then I kicked him in the two sacks between his legs. Well, as hard as I could while my arms hung; nonetheless, my little "attack" sent him to his knees.

"Why you little…"

"DAGUR!" Alvin roared, cutting Dagur off.

"DON'T TELL THEM ANYTHING, DAD! I LOVE YOU TOO!" I yelled.

"Well, that's sweet. Now, where was I? That's right…I was going to do…THIS." Savage sneered. The brand slowly returned to the point of barely touching my skin. The closer it got, the more of the burn I felt. Tears ran down my face as I tried to remain strong. Dad wouldn't tell them anything, and neither would I. We'd carry Hiccup's secret to the grave and leave them blindly searching forever-

"ENOUGH!"

What?

"PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF THOR, DON'T HURT MY DAUGHTER ANYMORE!"

Dad?

"Ivy, forgive your husband. Heather, forgive your weakling of a father. I can't do it. I just can't stand the thought. I beg of you, let her go, and I'll give you everything you need to know."

* * *

 _On berk, near dinnertime..._

 **Astrid POV**

After the ceremony, I told my parents I was going to train again though it was getting dark. They didn't really care about me going to the forest at all hours anymore. After all, I spent the majority of my dragon training days in the forest after my greatest failure. They simply thought I was training myself.

It worked as a very meaningful excuse.

I sat on Hiccup's rock chair, watching the sun go down until it fell into the mouth of the ocean. Afterwards, I went to find Gobber. The shared weapon between Hiccup and I needed sharpening, after all. Every time I entered his line of sight, he gave me the same look he gave any dragon from far away...disdain. After he sharpened my axe, I gave him thanks and returned home.

No one could blame Gobber for looking at me like that, not even me. If I had been patient and just waited to kill the Nightmare in training, Hiccup would still be here. Maybe eventually, I'd remember just how nice of a person Hiccup is and would go back to him and we'd be best friends again. Then the Ingermans would still have Fishlegs hang out with us. Even Stoick would treat us with respect. Unfortunately, none of that would happen now, and the one at fault held the blood of an innocent in an axe made especially for her.

I made my way home, but before I entered, I heard something and decided to eavesdrop. I heard a voice that could only belong to the father of Snotlout, Spitelout Jorgenson.

"-both clans and this is a smart match."

A smart match? What was a smart match? Why was he in our house in the first place?

"I know, Spitelout, but I think it's a bit too early to be discussing these things."

That was my father's voice. What was too early to discuss? Disturbing thoughts entered my head and I started sweating like a yak in heat.

"Nonsense. You were fifteen when the contract was signed between you two."

No.

No. No. No.

HELL no.

No!

Were they really doing what I thought they were doing?!

"Helga where's your word in this? She's your daughter after a-"

By the Gods, they were. That did it for me. Every single cell in my body felt like liquid fire. My brain screamed at me to remember the last time I let my emotions get the better of me. I didn't have enough anger to make another horrendous mistake, but damned if I'm gonna let myself be sold like some prize! I opened the door loudly, cutting their discussion short. They all stared at me as if I was some strange yak. I pinched the bridge of my nose and took some deep breaths to calm myself. They got the message.

Astrid Hofferson was livid.

I looked Spitelout dead in the eye and slowly pointed to the door.

"Get. Out. Of my house."

He hesitantly walked towards the door and looked back at my parents. "We'll talk about this again later."

"I can swear on Thor himself that you won't." I hissed. He soon left and my parents were looking at me, waiting for the explosion. I took Spitelout's empty seat and noticed Mum smoothly hiding a roll of paper away from me. That was fine. I didn't need to know what was on that paper to know what that paper was.

"Why?" I asked them. They looked at one another to decide who will answer me. Mum decided to speak.

"We are not that young, dear, nor are you-"

"Why him?" She looked at me questioningly and then she understood that I was asking about Snotlout.

"The Jorgensons' son is the best possible choice for you, sweetheart." Steam started billowing out of my ears.

"How can you think that troll is the best possible choice for me?!" I yelled at them. I usually don't yell at my parents but this is some time that I must.

"Look dear, we know that you hate that boy. We really do. However, we've no other options, do we? The Ingermans don't even talk with us now, the Thorstons are already called for, and Hiccup is dead."

I think she thought that if she said that last part slowly, it would hurt as much. It hurt…a lot.

"Who knows, perhaps he may not be that bad. You both can hold you own in a fight. Besides, he's the heir to Berk. You've got to think of the family, Astrid!"

"I would sooner die by this very axe that Hiccup made for me than marry that narcissistic swine!" I stormed to my room, and slammed the door. I fell on my bed unceremoniously. Noticing that I still had my axe on back, I dropped it and stared at the ceiling.

"You've really done it, Astrid. You've really f***ing done it. You drove away your best friend, beat him to near death, sent him on a suicide mission. Now it's time for you to pay, you stupid, worthless, bitch!" I screamed, bashing

Fishlegs would never marry me and the feeling was mutual. If I married Tuffnut, as disturbing as that sounds, it would not only further dishonor our family, but their family would suffer as well, seeing that the twins already had someone. That left Snotpile. To make it worse, he's the bloody heir. If he wanted to marry me, he could when he became chief, even by force. I don't think Stoick would've minded a bit. It wouldn't surprise me, considering what I did to his only family.

A knock on the door interrupted my train of thought.

"Honey, can I come in?" I gave a noncommittal noise as I had stopped caring at this point. The door opened and my father walked in, taking a seat at the side of my bed.

"I know that you hate that boy. To tell you the truth, I ain't fond of him either, and you know that. But, try to look at it from our viewpoint, dear. We ain't that young anymore. Hiccup may have dealt with the dragons for the last time, but what will happen if we can't make it back to you? Who'll take care of you? Hmm? We will delay this for as long as we possibly can but some day, you'll have to marry him. We're doing this for your own good." He sighed. I didn't want to look at it that way, but it made sense. Then again, a lot of things I hated made sense.

"I really messed up my life, dad, I know I was a good warrior, but I think I really messed up my life this time, dad." I said. I would never have told this to Mum, she would only tell me to "woman up." Like that helped at all. Strangely, my dad always knew what to say to make me feel better.

"I should've waited until I killed that dragon, I shouldn't have been so eager to regain honor for our family. Maybe then, I wouldn't have beaten Hiccup like a monkey. If I could turn back time, I'd tell that stupid, honor obsessed me that my friendship with Hiccup meant way more than killing any amount of dragons!" I told him sincerely. He looked at me for a while and seeing that I was crying, he wiped the tears off my face.

"Astrid, dear, that is life. We make mistakes, some big, some small but no matter how small the mistake was, we can never change the past. All we can do is whatever we can do to fix the damage. But if we cannot, we move on with life, making sure not to make the same mistake ever again." He leaned over, pecked my forehead, and began to leave the room.

"Dad…" I called before he left the room.

"If I ever see Hiccup again…nothing on this earth, not even Stoick, will take me from him ever again." I have told my father that I didn't believe that Hiccup was dead. I could tell he didn't believe me, but it felt good to have someone listen to you. Some people have all the luck, I guess.

"That's my girl. Well, goodnight, love." He closed the door and left. I meant what I said, though. If I ever found him again, I would bring him back to Berk. If he was deadest on not going back to Berk, then I'd follow him wherever he went.

The thought of seeing Hiccup again...filled me with…a new goal. I would make this world recognize me as the greatest dragonslayer in history. Not only because I hate them, which I still do, because the more dragons I kill, the less likely it was for Hiccup to get hurt by them even he was not here.

I will continue what he started, finish it, and then, by some miracle from the Gods…

I would see Hiccup again.

* * *

 _On the isle of the former peaceable tribe, in Heather's home…_

 **Heather POV**

"NO! Dad, don't do this!"

What is he doing? Why would he sell out our entire tribe just to save me?! If he told them about Hiccup, then every single of us, men, women, children, elderly, all of us would've died for nothing, especially Mum!

"Dagur, gag her again." Dagur came and tied my mouth extra tight. "Well, well, well. It took quite a few days, but you finally cracked. The one question among many that I still have is 'Why didn't you tell us this in the first place?' If you had, not only would you still have two working legs, but you'd also have your lovely wife, even if she wouldn't want to talk to you. Now then, tell us what you know, and I promise you, your daughter will live, freely."

I shook my head as hard as I could, making whatever noises I could to stop him, to no avail.

"His name…is Hiccup. The last time I saw him, the Bog-burglars took him in. That's all I know."

I hung my head in defeat. Our tribe, the peaceables, known for our pacifism, one of the least raided tribes in the archipelago, annihilated because some greedy bastards wanted to get their hands on an innocent boy. I want to yell at my father for disgracing the memory of our tribe, but the cloth in my mouth prevented me from speaking.

"What? That's it? You got to be kidding me, I sailed to this crummy village with an army of bloodthirsty Berserkers just to hear this crap?!" Dagur yelled in disbelief.

"That's all I know. Please, let her go. You gave me your word!" My father pleaded miserably.

"Now was that so hard? Now, why wouldn't you do that in the first place?" Alvin asked. "Now then, about that promise…yeah…I suddenly don't feel like keeping it anymore." He laughed and my father started roaring again, only for it to turn into muffling. Savage probably gagged him.

"Usually, I'd let you both go, but you insulted Savage, the entire Outcast tribe, and me by calling us cowards. That doesn't bring about good fortune. Don't worry, your daughter will live. We may be brutal but every dying man deserves to have his last wish granted." Alvin said and resumed his position on the chair. Savage went to the hearth and took the branding iron with the Outcast mark.

"Right you are, Alvin sir, lovely little Heather will live…just barely, though." Then he brutally rammed the branding iron against my back.

Everything that was me wailed in pain.

I screamed my throat raw, but it came out as nothing more than muffled shrieks. I tried to move but my body wouldn't listen to me. I was twisting and turning to different sides, struggling like a maniac, but I had no control over it. Then he tore the poker out of my skin.

The pain that coursed suddenly exploded. I felt a large piece of flesh leave my body with the iron. The sickening smell of charred human skinned violated my nose. I felt sick. Dagur, who was immensely enjoying the whole thing, removed the cloth covering my mouth. I threw up immediately.

Savage didn't stop. He continued to do the same repeatedly for another four times. I think he was branding a pattern on my back.

I started remembering all the times I spend with my parents. I started to remember how I used to play with my friends. I remembered how happy I was until all the happiness vanished by the simple lust for power. Now I have no parents to love and no friends to play with.

To my surprise, in that immense amount of pain, something had awoken inside of me, something…that I had never felt before. The pain that was supposed to kill me, break my mind, it...it was making me…stronger! My mind flowed with images of what I would do to them if they were stupid enough to let me live. They were sick, appalling, even to me, but seeing these fantasies play out in my mind…it felt…so…good!

Savage, Dagur, and Alvin…they had ruined my life. Oh, by the Gods, they would pay if they didn't kill me! I was so deep in thought that I didn't really notice that my father was struggling to get out of the chair and beat them to death. I also didn't notice their whips until they started lashing at me.

To tell you the truth, I didn't care.

The pain was excruciating, paralyzing, damn near beyond unbearable, but I shed no tears. I had no reason to cry anymore. I have no reason to fear pain any more. My heart was no more the force of my life anymore.

Revenge.

Revenge was my core. Revenge was my life's blood and I swore to all Gods that I would have my revenge! When I got out of this prison, they had better run and hide.

Heather Freespirit…was no longer.

* * *

 _After a few hours..._

 **Alvin POV**

I felt sorry for the lass. A tiny bit, though, but I still felt sorry for her. I was going to leave her unharmed so that we could draw out the Dragon Conqueror. Dead men tell no tales and all that. We would've just killed him right then and there, but then he insulted us and called us cowards.

No one called the Outcasts cowards and lived.

The second he died, we stopped tearing into the poor girl. I think the sight of his daughter getting hurt broke his heart. It didn't matter, he told us valuable information anyway. Dagur may not have guessed it, but I knew better than that brat did.

The rumored "Dragon Conqueror" is Stoick's sorry runt of a son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, currently residing on the Bog Islands.

Since we had the information we needed, there was no point in us staying on this deserted island. We needed to return home and set our sights on the Bog Islands.

That may be more difficult than this conquest was.

The Bogs may only be women, but they have so many fine warriors in their tribe. If we were to conqueror the Bogs, we'd need a well thought out plan.

Well, was I leader of the Outcasts or was I leader of the Outcasts?!

I ordered Savage to release Heather and put her to the bathing tub in her house. After that, we filled it with salt water. This gave her a fighting chance so that when the rest of the plan worked out, we could...save her, so to speak.

We had broken her, but something about Heather...didn't sit too well with me. I've seen minds break before, but this...at the end of it all, her eyes held the exact expression of Dagur.

Maybe they were related.

Well, at any rate, when she got rescued by the Dragon Conqueror, or should I say, Hiccup, she would tell her tragic tale and then probably die. She'd probably jump it or something. When the Outcasts broke anyone, their lifetimes turn into moments, and they are few indeed.

My plan is to use carrier pigeons to send ransom notes to different islands. Knowing that the Dragon Conqueror, a.k.a Hiccup, is on Bog-burglar Island, I'd sent a letter to bertha personally. When they arrived, I would leave some troops to think that we set a trap for the dragon Conqueror. They'd probably get slaughtered, but, hey suspicion averted!

With Dagur's armada, we'd destroy Bog, capture Hiccup the Runt, his Night Fury, have him teach us to conquer dragons…and then, after I ran through them all…

The world would belong to Alvin the Treacherous, soon to be known as Alvin, the TRUE Dragon Conqueror!

* * *

 _Near the peaceable tribe waters…_

 **Fishlegs POV**

We didn't even dock on the peaceable islands, but we had already made plans for home. Why, you may ask? A Berserker armada and Outcasts ships inundated the island. We couldn't dock if we tried.

Of course, we could have visited the peaceable tribe earlier if my father hadn't insisted on going to the Ugly Thugs first so that he could also meet his old friend. It wasn't too bad because I also meet one of my friends to: Thuggory, heir of the Ugly Thugs.

He respected the wise, though we was more of the warrior standing. We caught up on recent events, including the outfall between Hiccup and Astrid. He took it rightly just like Cami. He didn't want anything to do with that bitch, either. After all these years, the gang had come back around, with the exception of Astrid, of course.

At any rate, we had, somewhat, completed our mission, which meant high speed back to Berk. I really hoped Gobber found Hiccup. I think there was a high chance that he went to the Bog Islands due to Cami spending most of her stay on Berk with him.

* * *

 **A.N.**

So here's another late chapter. I have news, MODdenial has Volunteered to beta read this story. I can't thank him enough! He did an amazing work to turn my story into something readable. Those who read the story about a month before knows that my chapters were full of mistakes, we've been working on that for about three weeks and now its finally done! don't worry the story is still the same as we haven't changed the plot. I thank him again for helping me out. He is a great writer go check out his stories too.

Now about the chapter, well it' done. I hope you will forgive me for late posting because of the long chapter. I will try to upload a chapter once every 2 weeks. better hold your meals. In my defence I watched "passion of the christ"movie before writing the chap. criticism and reviews are welcomed as always.

 **Draposs:** thanks for the review. I'm glad that you are liking the story. It actually is a good idea, i might use it if the chance occurs, thanks for the idea. Hope you like this chapter too.


	17. Follow the Leader

**_As of April 8, 2016, my dear Lassie has passed on._**

 ** _This chapter is dedicated to the loving memory of "Lassie."_**

* * *

 _Outcast boat, outside the captain's quarters…_

 **Savage POV**

Alvin asked me to report to his room as soon as I finished putting Heather in the tub and filling it with salt water. After filling the tub with saltwater, I poured some medicinal herbs into the tub as well. Alvin told me this would keep her alive for a few days.

Personally, I considered it a shame. She was such a lovely girl. I would have asked Alvin to give me an hour or so with her before we broke her, but I was lucky enough to get away with my late deliverance of the hostages. I didn't dare push my luck further. I knocked on the door to Alvin's quarters.

"Alvin sir, it's Savage. May I come in?"

"Come in, Savage."

I entered the room, walked to Alvin's desk and waited for him to speak to me. He actually looked quite happy for some reason. Well, I didn't question it. After all, the happier he was, the longer I lived. He was writing a pigeon message, humming to himself. After he was done with the message, he went to the messenger pigeon assigned to the Bog Islands.

"How is Dagur doing?" he asked me. As his right hand man, I was expecting a question like this, so I sent a few men after Dagur, just in case.

"He's angry sir, he threatens to invade Outcast Island next if something like this happens one more time. Sir, I've yet to understand why you put up with the brat."

The second those words left my mouth, I knew I had overstepped my boundaries.

"Would you like to repeat that?" He boomed slowly.

"Then again, thinking back, there are a lot of things that I will never understand."

"That's what I thought." He started talking, but kept that frightening look on his face. "Now Savage, we need Dagur to follow us to Outcast Island, but we have make sure that his fleet returns home unscathed." He said. One wouldn't happen without the other, so neither would be happening anytime soon.

"If I may ask sir, why would we need him to follow us?" I asked him.

"Do I have to drill everything into you, ya damn idiot?! I need him there so we can discuss what to do and make a plan of attack. How are we supposed to conquer the Bog-Burglars, find Stoick's runt, and have him to teach us his ways, without a plan?!" Well, that made much more sense. However, it would only work if I could persuade that lunatic, Dagur to follow us.

"I will make sure that happens, sir!"

I left the Capitan's quarters and went to the lead ship of the Berserker armada to find Dagur.

* * *

 _Bog Burgular Island, Valarie's house, post-training…_

 **Valarie POV.**

I've known a lot of great Bog-Burglars but in my eyes, none of them hold a candle to Camicazi! She's fast, strong, smart; she's the best teacher ever! Today, she taught me how to keep focused on all of my surroundings in a battle. However, when I got on my feet, I only managed to register the surroundings up to an acceptable level only close to the end of the lesson.

Our lessons only got better when Camicazi had her boyfriend, Hiccup join us. Usually an elder bog only trains a fellow, and that fellow bog, more than often, happens to be a girl. But he's not a girl, or a Bog by birth, so he's a special case. Maybe his Night Fury relationship gave him points, or rather; no one would really like arguing with Camicazi. If by some miracle, you got past Camicazi, you would have an angry "Triple B" waiting to strike you down.

Don't get me wrong, I don't know much about Hiccup, but Camicazi likes him, and that's good enough for me. In addition, he seems nice, for a boy. Unfortunately for him, when it comes to fighting…he's…well, let's just say between him and infant, the infant would probably curb stomp him.

I've never met a boy as old as Hiccup who couldn't fight well, but he just sucks! He only wields a dagger, which he forged a few days back. He told us that he only has experience with a dagger. Do I believe him? Yes. Does Cami? Well, not so much. She thinks that there's something missing though she can't quite find out what it is.

I think Cami's just trying really hard to make her boyfriend into an acceptable fighter.

When we train, seeing him screw up really lifts my spirits. Now, don't get it twisted! I'm not trying to put him down, it's just nice to see that even war-ending heroes can make mistakes too. Cami told me all about it one day during Hiccup's coma. If we had talked during the spring, my mouth would've nestled many flies.

When I stood three steps away from my house, a powerful, yet ambrosial scent invaded my nose, sending pleasure throughout my being. I could never forget the scent of my mum's specialty… seasoned, flame broiled rotisserie chicken with a side of freshly made yak cheese, all culminated in a soup made with red peppers, tomatoes, and rosemary. I battled myself to prevent my mouth from turning into a waterfall of saliva. Then again, training never failed to make me hungry. Without further ado, I opened the door.

"Hi Mum! The soup smells great, by the way!" I called while hanging my bow and quiver on its hook and placing my sword on the weapons rack. I used to imagine myself holding a double-edged battle-axe but after witnessing Cami's skill with swords at a younger age, I switched weapons. Oddly enough, double-edged battle-axes irritate Cami now, even if she has no real problem with the people of this tribe who wield them, so I'm glad I changed my mind when I did.

"Howdy, Val. I've heard your training's coming along nicely. You always make me proud, darling."

I blushed from head to toe. After a quick detour to the washbasin to wash my hands, I came back and waited for Mum to hand me my little slice of ambrosia. I took the first mouthful of soup in and nearly cried.

The chicken felt so tender on my tongue, the cheese coated the meat like wool on a sheep, and the peppers mixed with the heated water brought it home. Take notes, Viking mothers across the archipelago, this is CUISINE!

"Mum, I'll do anything you ask of me, just as long as I can have this every single day for the rest of my life!" I cried with tears of joy. I started pouting when my mum laughed at my desire.

"Val, I'd make it for you regardless. You know I can't resist my little slice of Val-Halla! But enough about how great a chef I am, why don't you tell me about your training today? After all, it's not every day I'm here to listen to my girl's victories." She wasn't wrong. She worked as Chief Bertha's senior advisor or something like that, so she came home quite late on most days.

"The training is out of this world, Mum. Cami is the best! Today, she trained us in keeping in touch with your surroundings in the middle of a fight. It was amazing! She was everywhere! She looked like a Night Fury; she didn't miss a single thing!" I told her enthusiastically. She started to laugh and I'll admit that it did hurt a bit.

"Slow down kiddo, I ain't going anywhere today. We have time. I heard that you said someone has a nice ass as well." Seeing my blush, she broke into a fresh batch of laughter. Apparently, laughter truly is contagious, because I started giggling myself. After we calmed down, she started to talk again.

"So Val, did you get a chance to ride a dragon?"

When she asked, my face fell. I asked Hiccup repeatedly to take me for a ride on Toothless, but he kept refusing; he kept saying that I was too young. When I asked Cami, she told me that she didn't have enough experience with Footprint to take another rider on.

"No mum, they refuse every time I ask. It feels as if they don't even want me to ride a dragon."

She lifted an eyebrow and started to wrinkle her forehead.

"What did they say dear?"

"Hiccup tells me that I am not old enough and Cami doesn't have enough experience to take another rider." I looked up at her with sad eyes. I've done this many times whenever I needed Mum's help for something. Whether it was a toy, a gift in the smith's shop, or an extra helping of her specialty, using the sad eyes worked out well for me.

This time, Mom gave me eyes of small sympathy. That meant that the sad eyes would not succeed.

"Sorry Val, but...I've gotta side with Hiccup and Cami on this one. They're right, you're not quite old enough yet. I never thought Cami would be this responsible. Do you think Hiccup's anything to do with it? At any rate, if Hiccup thinks you are too young to ride a dragon, then you'll have to wait until he thinks the time is right. After all, he is the dragon expert."

Well, that was just perfect. I couldn't even get my own mother to back me up on this.

"Has he trained anyone other than Cami? Has Lydia or Luna talked to him?" Suddenly, this conversation became much more professional.

"He hasn't talked to anyone except me and Cami. Mum, this boy is so shy, it's almost-no, scratch that, it is adorable!"

"Well dear, he is the only boy that you have met who you're close to in age." She makes a good point there. "Anyway, I'll talk to him tomorrow. We'll see what we can do."

After supper, we joked around a bit. When it was lights out, she tucked me in and I went to sleep quickly.

* * *

 _Next morning, outside Camicazi's house._

 **Vinnie POV**

After talking with Val last night, I learned that I was right about Hiccup. That boy was much smarter than what I credited him.

He wanted to know how much he could trust us before he started teaching us how to train dragons. There was no doubt in my mind that Cami was at the top of Hiccup's trainee list. Due to his shyness, however, it may take quite a while.

Harboring Hiccup could lead to serious consequences. If word of his capabilities leaked to other tribes, the Hooligans, the Outcasts, and the Berserkers would be the first of many inbound for our islands. The Berserkers and Outcasts wouldn't take any chances and with Berk's former heir becoming one of us, the Hooligans would spare no expense either. We needed to learn how to train dragons to defend our home, but it all depended on that boy. Something else came into play.

The village doesn't have enough dragons. We have plenty of Terrors, but that was about it. We needed variety; something I know Hiccup can bring upon us.

I was walking towards the chief's house when I saw Toothless jumping up and down impatiently on the roof. Apparently, my person of interest decided to sleep in. When Bertha's voice cut through the morning air, I knew that I hit it on the head.

"CAMI, WAKE UP YOUR BOYFRIEND AND GET HIM TO CALM DOWN THAT DRAGON BEFORE HE TEARS THE HOUSE APART!"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, MUM, HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

I tried hard not to laugh at Bertha's holler, but Cami's reply broke through and I threw my head back in laughter. It only grew at the thought of Cami replying "Yet." After a few seconds, the sleepy form of Hiccup flew out the house, courtesy of Cami's foot. He was muttering under his breath when Toothless eagerly bounded towards him for him to put the saddle on.

"Yeah, yeah, just stay still, you ungrateful, lousy reptile. Must you deny me five more minutes of sleep when I spend most of the night with you, lousy salamander?"

With that, he and Toothless took to the sky. I don't think he even noticed me. Well, my person of interest has just left. Well, I could settle for second best.

"Good morning, Cami. Can I meet with Bertha?"

"Oh, hey Vinnie. I wasn't expecting you here this early. So what's up?"

"I came to ask Hiccup when he'd start training dragons for us. I know you can understand the potential threat of keeping him here."

Cami nodded, signaling me to continue

"I know he's shy and quite reserved, but for the sake of the village, we may need to speed things up. I was going to talk to him but seeing that he is not here, I decided to talk to your mum, maybe we can arrange a place and other essentials."

She quietly thought for a few seconds then her face brightened up.

"I have an idea! He may not be back for half an hour or so, in the meantime I will gather the girls. I don't think they've been properly introduced to him other than on the first day he woke up."

After a quick wave towards me, she whistled loudly and the Changewing appeared on the wall of the house. In a few seconds, the duo was vanishing out of sight and traveling towards the village.

When I went in to the house, Bertha was already siting on the table with two mugs of yak milk.

"I see that you heard me talk to Cami."

"Hard to miss, so what is the assistance that you need from me? I think the training ground would be a good choice for him to train dragons. Now what else could I do?"

"Honestly Berths, we both know that though Hiccup likes to keep dragons as pets, he can't ignore the fact that they're giant, fire-breathing lizards. They could help us defend our village from all save for Raganok, Helheim, or high water. I have been studying Toothless' saddle. It's not suitable for weapon-carrying."

I paused for a while thinking what could Bertha's response be. If it's negative, I may have to be sneaky about this. If it's positive, then it would do my heart well to see that the chief and I are on the same page about this.

"Well Vin, I don't think that idea may work that much. Frankly, I have no idea how dragons think. Hiccup may be the only one that knows anything about how dragons are. I am certain about one thing though, every time Cami takes a weapon near Footprint, he looks agitated. Even Toothless only lets Hiccup near him with weapons."

Well, I didn't expect that. If dragons don't let weapons get close to them, that dealt a serious blow to my plan of using dragons as a mode of transportation to intercept an incoming fleet. No matter how great a weapon a dragon can be, if the rider can't carry a weapon to defend them when needed, that spelled disaster. I realized that while Bertha was a great chief, she was no dragon expert.

That meant I needed to wait until the dragon expert came back.

* * *

 _Berk, in the Mead Hall..._

 **Astrid POV**

I came to the Mead Hall to eat my breakfast rather than eat it back at home. I still held a lot of anger towards Mum and Dad for trying to marrying me off to…Snotlout.

After I entered the main hall, I noticed that no one sat at our usual table...no one except that troll. Hiccup may have thought the gods hated him. Well, they absolutely despised me.

I scanned around the Mead Hall to see if I could find another place to eat. After finding no empty tables, I found only one with no one to call for it.

It was Hiccup's usual table; the table that the runts usually sat in.

I've said it before; life works in really strange ways. The self-centered, stupid bitch that I had been 4 months ago would have fought hard as she could to avoid that table. If she so much as looked there, slander would go to her name faster than a moth to a flame. Not this Astrid Hofferson, this Astrid Hofferson would sit there, eat, and not regret it!

After gathering my breakfast, I headed towards Hiccup's table, sat down, and started to eat without waiting any longer. While eating, I looked around and saw how different the Mead Hall looked through his eyes. When a person sat here, it felt like...they were invisible, insignificant. Anyone sitting here…would just…disappear.

Suddenly, the burnt drawing that I hid under my cloth chest made a lot of sense than it should've.

People keep chatting with each other wishing them good days. The Mead Hall was like a beehive; everyone was happy; everyone was part of a community, a tribe, a family...everyone, except the ones who sit at this table. Even Snotface walked by without sparing me a single glance, albeit definitely non-deliberately. The amount of shame filling my body nearly made me lose my appetite. I probably wouldn't be able staying at this place for a few weeks, let alone a lifetime if I felt how Hiccup felt up until my greatest mistake.

He had every right to leave. He has every right to hate us. I don't think any of us can persuade him to come back to Berk, not after living like this for so long. I don't think he wants to be persuaded.

'Gods almighty, Hiccup. How could anyone live as you have? I don't know if I can get you to come back anymore, or if you even want to. What am I thinking; of course, you don't want to. Who would after how much you've been wronged?'

Gobber's angry growl took me out of my thoughts.

"What are you doing here, Astrid?" He glowered.

"What? This was the only empty table and I took it. I don't feel like hanging out with the others."

"Then why won't you go and sit with your parents, lass? I'm gonna be honest, I don't like the sight of you sitting where Hiccup sat, especially since you already have his blood on your hands and in your weapon."

Sure, Gobber, keeping opening the wound that will never close, why don't you. He crossed his arm-mug attachment, waiting for me to leave the table. Since he just made me lose my appetite, I had no reason to stick around. I could swear on Thor's beard that Gobber was smirking when I left the table rather than tell him why I didn't want to go to sit with my peers or my parents. I'm sure that Spitelout must have said something to Stoick and his ever-present right hand man. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I started walking towards the forest to train. I was almost at the tree line when the horn blew.

WE HAD A DRAGON RAID, IN THE MORNING!

I ran as fast as I could to the village and I could see the villagers fighting off the dragons. For some reason, the raid didn't have as much variety as we were accustomed to. It was only a small flock of Monstrous Nightmares.

Questions could wait until later, at that moment, I needed to make this world safer for Vikings everywhere. Unsheathing my axe, I ran to the closest Nightmare. I needed this; I need to kill every single one of those demons who claimed the life of my friend.

I swung my axe at the nearest Nightmare with a war cry. As soon as it heard my cry, it turned around and unleashed a stream of fire at my face. I dodged it with a barrel roll and flung my axe at its neck, decapitating the horrid beast. That meant one less Nightmare to plague this world. The next closest Nightmare to me was the one fighting the gang. I moved to my next kill.

"Out of my way, Snotface! This demon is MINE!"

I grabbed him by the scruff of his tunic and threw him as far behind me as I could. I would have let the Nightmare claim him but seeing that I had left plenty of people to die at the claws of dragons, I saw no reason to make the list any larger.

"FIGHT ME IF YOU DARE, YOU UGLY FLAMING SNAKE!" I yelled and jumped in front of it with the axe ready to slice. It stepped back and avoided the axe. While I was trying to yank the axe out of the ground, something happened. The same thing that happened in the arena with the leftovers of the last raid happened.

The Nightmare had fear in its eyes. The Nightmare feared me. Seeing this beast squirm at the sight of me filled me with determination. After yanking the axe out, I pushed forward.

"NOT SO FRIGHTENING NOW, ARE YOU? YOU ATTACKED THE WRONG TRIBE!"

I swung my axe at the pitiful dragon that was whining. It turned, hoping to get away from me, but it hoped in vain. I slashed the lather of its wing, downing it. After a few quick slashes, it lay on the ground, divided in separate sections, dead, as all dragons should and will be.

When I was done, I noticed that some villagers liked watching me kill that dragon rather than fighting one. I ignored them and pressed on.

* * *

 _On bog-burglar island, near Lydia's house…_

 **Camicazi POV**

After going to my usual hangouts, I gathered everyone who was there, except for Lydia, Brandy's daughter.

Unlike her mother, she was not that good with a sword. However, she can get out of any situation involving men and some women with nothing more than a bat of her eyelashes. She also has a way with daggers to make up for her lack of swordswomanship. I saved her for last. She has this way with men, making them mushy in the head and making them do whatever she wishes.

Frankly, I was keeping Hiccup safe from her. I don't want her to use her charms on him. I haven't made it official, but he belongs to me. He's mine.

"Lydia! Are you in here?"

I hammered on the door. Just as I was about knock again, she finally opened the door.

"Hey Cams! Long time no see. So why are you here?" She asked me, leaning to the side of the door. Lydia was a head taller than I was with dark brown hair passing her shoulder. In short, she was taller and hotter than I was. Well I usually didn't care about how I looked, but since I had to worry about Hiccup going googly eyed over someone like Lydia, maybe it would better if I did something with my hair.

"Hey Lyds. I haven't seen you in a while. Vinnie was going to talk to Hiccup about helping the villagers train their own dragons. So I'm gathering the gang so that when he gets back he can't shy away and give us the slip." As soon as I mentioned Hiccup, her eyes shone with a specific light. I didn't like that light.

"Cool! It's about time you shared! I was wondering when I would get to meet the 'Dragon Trainer.''" She winked.

"Yeah, two rules about Hiccup. One, he's mine, and two, unless it's about dragons or the village, no talking to him." I told her in a playful voice with a serious undertone.

"So Cami, I saw that you got a Changewing, can I see her? Where's she?" Lydia asked me and I smirked at that.

"First off, she is a 'he.' Second, Footprint's right behind me, aren't you, boy?" I looked over my shoulder and there was Footprint, staring back at me curiously.

"That is so cool! I really want one like that!"

"Join the club, we have cookies."

"Can I touch him?"

"Sure, but leave your weapons at home-all of them. Seriously, weapons make him testy."

She hesitated for a second before she unsheathed her daggers and went into the house. After she came out, I told her to rub Footprint's neck. That's his sweet spot.

"So, shall we go?"

We started walking towards the training grounds with the others

"Lydia, seriously. He's mine."

She winked evilly at me.

"Don't worry, I know. So do you. But does he?"

Maybe adding Lydia wasn't such a good idea after all.

" _Hiccup_ …"

* * *

 _Camicazi's house, continuous…_

 **Hiccup POV**

After the morning flight, I came back to Cami's place to grab breakfast. I usually ate from their house unless they said otherwise. It turns out no matter how intimidating a chief Bertha was, she enjoyed giving us home-cooked meals. After giving Toothless his customary chin scratch, I went into the house and found a surprise waiting for me.

Vinnie sat at the table, talking with Bertha.

"Good morning Bertha, good morning Vinnie." I greeted them politely and started walking towards the kitchen to grab a plate of anything that was prepared for breakfast.

"Wait just a minute, Hiccup. Vinnie here wants to talk about a few things with you." Bertha told me and I quickly changed my trajectory towards the table.

"It's okay, Hiccup, grab your breakfast. We can talk while you eat." I grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and sat at the table across from Vinnie and Bertha.

"I'm glad that you have recovered well and are settling in nicely." Vinnie started.

"Thanks Vinnie. To be honest, I've never been happier in my life before coming to the Bog Islands." I told her sincerely. "So, what brings you here?" I asked her. I felt apprehensive for some reason.

"Well, you have been here for a few months now and the pro dragon improvements you've suggested for the village have astounded us. I'm happy for all the feeding stations you have built to help the dragons join into our society well. You've even helped Camicazi train a Changewing of her own, which brings me to my main point. Don't you think it's about time that you start training dragons for the villagers?"

I had to blink a few times. Did I really give them the impression that I'm some kind of all-powerful dragon trainer? Vinnie's question really put a snag in my plan to wait for the Bogs to witness the true nature of dragons before I started integrating them in the tribe. I had to be careful with my words going forward.

"Vinnie, I think you've misunderstood, I don't train dragons. I can't train dragons." I told her. I saw a small spot anger flash in her eyes before she could hide it. I had to keep her interested before she lashed out at me.

"I don't train them. I befriend them. Toothless and I are best friends; I respect him and he respects me. To tell you the truth, Footprint started following Cami way before I had a chance to befriend him." I told them and Vinnie still had a confused face on. I sighed and tried to make it clearer.

"The dragons choose who will ride them, not the other way around. Taming a dragon is like taming a Viking." That, she understood.

"But, that being said, Hiccup, the whole village is willing to have a dragon to call their own. You can't just ignore them. There has to be a solution for this."

Well, she wasn't wrong. Admittedly, I've given a few thoughts to that as well.

"Well, I have something that could pass for a plan. I would start by training the teens in an age range of twelve to twenty. Of all the demographics, the teens will get used to the dragons much more easily. With the younger ones, I'd start them off with a terror so they can get used to the idea of having a dragon before they grow old enough to try training bigger ones."

Well, that was that. That was my semi-plan. I'd feel a lot better if the two women before weren't staring at me as if I had grown a second head. I started to rub the back of my neck, looking for something to do. The longer they stared at me, the greater my desire to melt into a puddle increased.

Suddenly, Vinnie burst out laughing. Bertha also started laughing.

"Here I was thinking I might have to most of the organizing and planning of the villagers' 'befriending' dragons." Vinnie chuckled. Bertha nodded at that.

"Well Hiccup, it's good to know that you have a plan. If you find Cami, I think she'll have the girls rounded up for you to meet."

What? I have to meet them now? Frankly, I'm a bit shy. Also, I didn't exactly do well around girls. I'm kinda shy too. Cami's my (dare-I-say) girlfriend so she was okay. Oh yeah, I'm somewhat shy as well. When it came to meeting no girls, well, let's just say…

I'm shy.

"Well Hiccup, no need to drool over it! You can meet them after you finish your breakfast! As for me, I've got duties. Will you accompany me, Vinnie?"

Without waiting for a reply, they left me to finish my meal.

* * *

 _Berk, one hour later…_

 **Astrid POV**

At times, I felt ashamed to be part of this tribe. This was one of those times.

The raid had ended and I killed maybe six Nightmares. However, I wasn't angry at my kill count. I was angry that this damn tribe is hailing me like some sort of hero. They need to understand that I'm not that the hero.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, he's the hero.

I killed a few Nightmares in a raid, but Hiccup, he did what no Viking before him or any of us could do; he took down a dragon the size of a mountain; ending a 3-century-old war in the process! Did he get a hero's acknowledgement; did they recognize him as a true Viking?

NO! Even in death, he's still known as "Stoick's little embarrassment." However, after the village saw Nightmares flee in fear at the sight of me, I'm Astrid the "dragon bane" again.

Though disgusted by how differently they treat me to the way they treated Hiccup, I think my Mum and Spitelout are immensely enjoying my achievement. Ever since losing her hair, Mum never came out to help us fight dragons. Now, she might come out to see dragons fleeing at the sight of me. I couldn't blame her either. She was my Mum, but she was nothing, if not vain. After all, Gobber ran our name into the ground so I think Mum will take whatever honor she could get.

I could tolerate that. I could accept that. Spiteface and Snotbreath were the ones that I wanted to impale with a sword.

The villagers carried me to the pub amidst all the pandemonium. After Hiccup destroyed the Red Death at the nest, the raids dropped in intensity and size. I could rather understand why small things like the mini-raid we had received so much attention. The villagers were yelling out enthusiastically.

Spiteface shouted, "That's ma future daughter in law!"

Snotbreath bellowed, "She's the best wife a future chief could get!"

It took me every ounce of willpower not to rip both Jorgensen's throats out. I had sworn never to turn my anger against anything human ever since…yeah. Still, that blasphemy did not sit well with me. I've made it crystal clear that Snotlout and I will never get married; not even if Raganok were to come at that second.

After the mob went into the Mead Hall, they started to praise me, bragging about what a wonderful Viking I was and they knew that I had it in me. They went on…and on…and ON…AND ON!

After the enthusiasm died down a little, I scanned around the mead hall to find Gobber. I felt like a disgusted stare from him would reduce the queasy feeling within me. After a while, I came to realize that he was indeed not here. I don't remember seeing him during the raid either. It was probably because I had paid more attention to the dragon killing rather than the faces of the people around me.

* * *

 _Bog-Burglar Island, near the training grounds._

 **Hiccup POV**

I would say I felt completely confident in myself going into my first lesson in dragon befriending, but only Trader Johann could tell bigger lies. Could anyone really blame me for my nervousness? My first class and I've never seen these students before.

It didn't help that they all of them were girls, either.

I took a deep breath and landed Toothless a bit away from the group of girls gathered in the training ground. I realized that I wouldn't be able to run from this so I walked slowly toward the group of girls and stopped a few feet in front of them.

"Erm…Howdy, I guess…"

I had no idea what to do. How did Gobber do this? Cami rolled her eyes and walked towards me.

"Morning, Hiccup. Now that the girls are here, you can discuss what you want them to do. I'm going to get something to eat." That evil smirk summoned a loud fit of giggles from the girls.

"Erm…Cami, I think can you wait till we're done here." She raised an eyebrow and I grabbed her arm desperately. "Please?! It won't take long and I'm freaking out here!" Cami could barely hold herself back from rolling on the floor, laughing herself to death.

"Alright, dragon boy, but you owe me one." She then dragged me to the group of giggling girls and began introductions.

"Guys, this is Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III."

"Great name, I know, but it could be worse." I chuckled. Then a girl came up to me and extended her hand. She had a pretty face and dark brown hair, most reaching past her shoulders, some in a thin braid on the left side of her head.

"Nice to meet you Hiccup. My name is Lydia, but my friends call me 'Lids.' So can you, if you want." She shook my hand, ran her tongue across her lips, and batted her eyes. I couldn't help the small shock running down my spine. I turned back to Cami who huffed and turned away. Why can I understand dragons better than I can understand girls? A girl who met me in height came to greet me next. How did I miss her the first time? Her skin looked just like snow. She had silvery blond long hair in a single braid behind her back. Her eyes, however, nearly froze me with fear. Two orbs of blood sat there. I blinked a few times when our eyes met and she smiled politely.

"No worries, I'm an albino. I'm Luna, but you can call me blondie if you'd like." She shook my hand as well. The next girl in line met Luna in height but her skin was a bit tan. She probably travels many times. She had reddish-brown hair in a braid over her shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Ysolda. It's nice to meet you at last!" She said, patting my shoulder before making way so that the last girl of the group could greet me. She was about six feet tall with sleek black hair in a ponytail. Her eyes were brown, nearly black and her face held a bit of disdain. She bent down a little so she could shake my hand without looking like a giant.

"I'm Anwen. Nice meeting you, Hiccup." She finished and suddenly, all eyes were on me. Why? Cami answered me with an elbow to my ribs.

"This is the part where you say 'It's good to meet all of you' and start the lesson!"

"Okay...well about that…the original plan had me finding some dragons and then meet you all here, but thanks to Cami, this will have to be a bit more off handed."

I deserved the small hit to the stomach for that one.

"If that's the case, then we'd better get going. The sooner we find dragons; the sooner you lot can get dragons." Cami told the group. Some of them sighed disappointedly while others shook their heads. Lydia kept her eyes locked on me. A lot of me wanted to run as fast as I could away from all this.

"We can gather ten or twenty dragons in two, three days I think. So…meet you then?" I asked Cami who rolled her eyes and shooed the girls away. They all left dejectedly. It could've gone better, yes, but it sure as hell could've been worse.

"I need to eat and bathe before we head out." Cami told me while walking to the sunbathing Footprint.

"Right, you do that; I'll gather the supplies." I mounted Toothless who seemed to get that I needed him and came towards me. After a short flight towards Cami's home, I went to the former guest room of the house and grabbed a few blankets. Then I went to the kitchen and gathered some supplies that was enough for two days and went back to Toothless so that I can load the goods to the saddle. After I secured the supplies to the saddle, I started thinking of contingency plans.

"I wish you could talk with me, bud. It'd be easier to locate other dragons that way." I said to Toothless not expect him to answer that but I said to ease the stress. Unexpectedly, he nodded.

"You got what I said, bud?" He blew a smoke ring in my face and gave me an annoyed rumbling noise. Clearly, he got what I said and was annoyed at my doubt of his intelligence.

"In that case, I'm gonna need your help bud." I told him, giving him a scratch under the earflap.

* * *

 _Next day morning, on the Bog Islands_

 **Bertha POV**

I'm glad that Hiccup did have a plan. I really am. I could trust Vinnie with my life, but she was a barrel filled with powder. She's a great strategist; the greatest I have ever seen in this life. However, if she wasn't kept in check, she'd enter reckless abandon and do anything to achieve her goals. Yesterday morning, I thought Hiccup might take her word as insults, but thankfully, he didn't. Though he's a male, there is a good heart within him.

"Chief! Chief! Wait!" I heard someone calling for me. When I looked back, Unadilla the Undefeated was running after me.

"What's the matter, Unadilla? Has something happened?" I asked her. She had more fortitude than most of the council and the armies; therefore, I always went to her for news, whether good or bad.

"I think so, and it might not be good. This just came in by an outcast pigeon." She gave me a small piece of paper.

 _Dear Chief Bertha,_

 _I applaud your efforts to keep such a juicy secret away from me, but too bad. I know that the fabled Dragon Conqueror is none other than Stoick's runt, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. I also know that he's on your island, too. It gets better; I know that he has a Night Fury as well. You actually chose well when you entrusted the Peaceables with this information. Too bad me and my Outcasts as well as Dagur and his Berserkers all but annihilated their entire tribe. They all died painfully...all but Heather that is. I'd hurry if I were you. I don't think she has much time left._

 _Sincerely Yours,_

 _Alvin_

My mind raced with the speed of a Night Fury. Did the Outcasts and Berserkers really annihilate the Peaceables? Have innumerable innocent, men, women, children, and elders been wiped out? Heather Freespirit, the daughter of the family who brought Hiccup to us...she's dying?

"Unadilla, get the healer and get her to ready her supplies to leave in a moment's notice." I told her gravely.

"What happened Bertha? What does it say?" she asked me.

"Alvin, Dagur, and their respective armies attacked the Peaceables and the daughter of the Freespirits is in trouble. GO!" I told her and after a quick nod she was off to the healer's hut.

Hiccup and Cami, whatever they were doing, they needed to come back immediately, especially Hiccup, because the girl of the family who saved his life is in danger!

* * *

 _Dragon Island, continuous..._

 **Hiccup POV**

We left the Bog Islands near midday. Somehow, Bertha caught wind of our destination and wanted to entrust us with a secret mission to acquire some 'special' cargo. We flew a bit slower than I would usually have gone. Footprint wouldn't be able to catch up with us if we traveled in full speed, hence the slower pace. Also due to the competitive nature of Cami, we had some races and chased each other, which was very fun to tell the truth. We camped out in the mouth of the diamond tunnel. After completing Bertha's assignment I slept in Toothless's wings and Cami slept on a blanket near Footprint. I woke up early as Toothless needed to go for fishing and I needed a pee break. I had to rather hold it back because it's embarrassing to relieve myself when I can feel her staring.

When I got back, I had some fish with me. Cami was already up and was lighting the fire. I landed Toothless and went towards Cami and only then seeing that Cami was eating I remembered that I brought supplies with me. I snuck those fish to Toothless so he could hide them forever.

"Took your morning flight, I see." Cami told me.

"Good morning to you too, Cami." I told her, grabbed a piece of cheese and bread started eating. After we finish eating, we packed up and then Cami started to speak.

"So what now, Hiccup?" she asked me.

"I think we better wait till Footprint returns, and then scout the island to see if I can get some dragons to follow me. But I don't think that will work because I haven't seen a single dragon around here."

"Me too. I think they might have left the nest for good after you and Toothless defeated the Red Death. Anyway, how are you going to make them follow us home?"

"I won't. Toothless will. He told me he'd be able to reason with them." That sounded better in my head.

"Let me get this straight. Toothless agreed to this?" By the smirk on her face, she must have thought I lost it.

"Hey, I'm not insane! He nodded in agreement! Toothless, back me up here, bud." Naturally, my lovable but useless reptile just rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Unbelievable!" Footprint returned, cutting our conversation. I quickly changed the subject to finding dragons. "Let's go, Cami. We need to find dragons soon." I told her overenthusiastically and then mounted Toothless. Soon, all four of us circled around the mountain/volcano and found nothing. For a land named "Dragon Island," it seemed deserted.

"Well bud, do you have any ideas to where the dragons might be?" I told him in a low voice. If Toothless, being a dragon, can't find dragons, who could?

Toothless started to move towards the mouth of the volcano and then I understood. We were looking in the wrong place. We had looked on the outside of the volcano when we should have searched on the inside. Toothless quickly went in and then started hovering over the area covered in red mist. This place looked different from when we took down the Red Death. Most of the stone pillar structures looked a bit crusty from when I tested out my fire barrel. That was when we saw the dragons. They all looked happy and their eyes held much more clarity than before.

"See Cami I told you he knows what he's doing."

"Well, it looks like the dragon's smarter than his rider." Cami told me and winked.

"Nice try, but that's a fact, not an insult." I chuckled "Now to get them to follow us home…Any ideas bud?" I asked Toothless.

At that, Toothless emitted a mix of cooing and low rumbling noises. Instantly, Footprint stood right in front of us.

"Hiccup, are they doing what I think they're doing?" Cami asked me.

"If you're thinking of them planning something, welcome aboard." I replied.

We heard a rumble of agreement, then Footprint and Toothless started flying out of the volcano. Reflexively, I adjusted the paddle to support his flying. When we were almost out, a giant roar flooded the nest with sound. After the roar, I retained enough hearing to hear a small wing beating noise. I saw ten or eleven dragons following Footprint out of the mouth of the volcano. Then, after another meaningful conversation between our dragons, Toothless started flying higher and higher before leveling out. Within a few seconds, his spine started to glow in the signature blue light of his plasma blasts. I felt him inhaling a huge breath and then he screamed/roared.

The difference between Toothless' and Footprint's roar: Footprint's came off as commanding, while Toothless made a roar similar to the one he used to lure the dragons away from the nest when we attacked it to destroy the Red Death. In addition, Toothless' roar made Footprint's sound like a whisper from a child. Footprint's roar could've easily shattered my eardrums, so imagine what Toothless' roar would've done to me if I hadn't covered my ears as hard as I could. After a few seconds, he stopped and then he started to descend.

The sight I beheld blew my mind right out its skull.

We saw dragons. Hundreds, thousands even, from Terrors to Monstrous Nightmares, and even a few Whispering Deaths. The two roars summoned the entire nest.

"What the hell just happened, Hiccup!?" Cami asked me. The sight of the Bog-Burglar heir about to wet herself would etch itself in my memory for years to come.

"I don't know, but seems like Toothless over did it this time. At the beginning of the day, Vinnie told me we didn't have enough dragons, now we'll probably have too many dragons."

"No kidding! Tell this to Toothless."

"Hey Toothless, good job bud, but um, most of those dragons won't be able to fit on Bog, so maybe have a few stay behind?" Toothless, whose glow was fading, shook his head from side to side. It felt as if he was mocking me rather than denying what I said. He gave off another roar that sound similar to his whistle when he charges his plasma blasts, then most of the dragons went back to the nest.

"Well, this went better than expected." I told Toothless and gave him a two-handed scratch under his neck. "Thanks a lot, bud."

* * *

 _A few hours later…_

 **Camicazi POV**

Home came into view. Once again, Hiccup and Toothless have blown my mind. Either Hiccup really had no idea what happened at that point, or he just wanted to see me freak out. The dragons viewed Toothless as some sort of leader. When Footprint called for them, only about ten of them complied. When Toothless called them, not only did the entire nest comply, it also made Footprint bow down and fly lower.

What in Freya's name was that?!

Thankfully, the submissiveness was temporary because I would not want an empty shell for a dragon. Now that we are right on top of the village, I decided to take the lead.

"Hiccup, follow me. I think training ground is a good place to land as any." He nodded, and then he and Toothless followed us. The whole village came towards us with Mum leading them. I couldn't help but notice the angry, sad and disgusted faces rather than the happy faces we were expecting. Hiccup seemed to notice that too.

"Cami, is it me or does your Mum look not happy about the dragons?"

Honestly, I had no idea why she looked so angry, so I didn't answer him. I also noticed the village healer and Unadilla with the healer's stash and weapons. Mum was the first to speak, and by how hurriedly she spoke, it must've been urgent.

"Hiccup, Cami, both the Outcasts and the Berserkers annihilated the Peaceables. Heather's the sole survivor, but we don't have time! If we don't help her, the Peaceables will officially go extinct!"

Heather? Heather Freespirit, the very girl of the family that brought Hiccup to us in first place; she's in trouble? If those disgusting Outcasts did anything to her, I'd skin every last one of them alive with my bare hands!

"Where is she?" I asked Mum quickly and helped the healer onto Footprint. Why the hell was Hiccup dismounting Toothless?!

"I think she's still on the Peaceable lands! You have to hurry, both of you!"

"HICCUP, get on that dragon right now!" I yelled at him. "Heather Freespirit belongs to the Peaceables, the people who saved your life in the first place! As far as I'm concerned, you owe a blood debt to her!"

Hiccup's look shuffled from horror to shock before settling on determined.

"I know that. Bertha, grab the thickest fur coats you can find! We're using the clouds!"

"The clouds…?"

* * *

 **A.N.**

So another chapter done. I'm a bit sad these days because our dog "Lassie" passed away. She was like family and it's hard without her. I manage to write the chapter any way. huge thanks goes to my beta MODdenial, he made the chapter and the story infinitely better.

About the updates i might update anywhere from two weeks to four. classes are really starting to get harder. so sorry about the lack of fixed update schedule. reviews and criticisms are welcomed as always.

 **Deathjest;** Thanks for the review. there definitely will be death. you just have to wait about two, three chapters to find about who. heheeeee... this is definitely not be a hiccstrid one. This is a hiccami one because fanfic world need more hiccami! I may use your idea too but i think hiccup is too good for that, still a nice idea. thanks again for the review and hope you find future chapters interesting too.


	18. Friend in need

_On Berk, the docks, late afternoon…_

 **Stoick POV**

Trader Johann's return brought me to the docks. I was always happy when he came. The gold he made from the diamonds he sold normally brought a smile to my face.

These days, unfortunately, no amount of gold could lift the spirits of this bereaved widower.

Many of my tribesmen believe that since my name is Stoick, I have no feelings. They couldn't be more wrong. I loved Hiccup. I loved Val. I loved them both with all my heart, now that both of them are dining at Odin's table, why should I stay here?

I should've been Hiccup's father, not his Chief. I should have spent more time with him. I should've protected the one thing that mattered to me most. I should have let my heart out in home more often. Maybe if I had, Hiccup would have stayed. Maybe he would've hit a growth spurt and became the heir I hoped he could be.

In the end, I was no better a parent than my own father. In my broodings of what I could've and should've done for Hiccup, I made my way to the docks where my favorite trader awaited.

"Ah, Berk. Of all the islands I travel to, this is my favorite!"

I'm starting to think he says that to every island he docks at.

"Johann, it's a pleasure to see you. The trades were smooth, I presume?" I asked him while walking into the boat. The deck of the ship was full of villagers merrily trading what they had for what they needed. It was a nice sight and this sight usually gives me an accomplished feeling.

This time, I felt saltwater forming in my eyes.

"Ah! Miss Astrid, what a fine sword you have got there!" Trader Johann made a beeline to the villagers and first in line was Astrid Hofferson. Like me, she regrets wholeheartedly what she had done to Hiccup. Like me, she'd go through Helheim and back to bring him back. Like me, she'd never forgive herself for not being there when he needed us the most.

I knew this, yet every single fiber of my being despised her.

Spitelout came to before giving the Hoffersons a marriage contract. Hiccup did ask me not to punish her and for his sake, I refused. Well, I would've if I hadn't let my hatred for her and her family prevent me from fulfilling Hiccup's last wish. I didn't even want to think about what would become of Berk if Snotlout were to lead it. Maybe Astrid can keep him in line. She did place first in her class in dragon training. Astrid's suffering will definitely satisfy me as well. I know she can't be manhandled by Snotlout, but having him annoy her would do my heart good.

"Well, Trader Johann, this sword seems well balanced. How much will this cost? I'm getting this for my mum, her birthday's next week."

I didn't want to eavesdrop on them, but they weren't exactly quiet either.

"Oh! Give her my best wishes, Miss Astrid! I suppose I could sell you this fine sword for your wolf pelt and your block of yak cheese." Astrid traded them for the sword, gave the sword some swings here and there, and then wrapped it up in a thick cloth.

"Do help yourself Miss Astrid…MASTER SNOTLOUT!" Trader Johann yelled the instant that he saw Snotlout going towards the pottery section of the deck. Trader Johann despised him because every time he comes here, he breaks more than his worth in trade. "Master Snotlout, please move away from the china stalls. I've got some fine weaponry fit for a warrior of your stature." He pointed/dragged Snotlout out towards the weapons area. Snotlout was not pleased with that.

"HEY! Watch it! I'm the future Chief of the tribe. You'd better watch yourself, Johann, before I impose trade suctions on you."

"Sanctions!" Astrid growled. Her anger at the boy nearly made me snicker.

"My apologies, Master Snotlout! I never knew! Congratulations to you, Master Snotlout!" With that, he came towards me so we could continue our trade. We were heading below deck when Trader Johann started to speak again.

"If you don't mind me asking, Chief Stoick, is Master Snotlout the best choice for the future of the tribe? If I maybe so bold, he seems like more of a furless yak than a future Chief." Johann said. I couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping my lips.

"I know that Johann. Unfortunately, with Hiccup gone, he is the next in line. Honestly, these days, I don't care much about him. Either he'll rule the tribe or the tribe'll rule him."

While talking, we reached our destination and Trader Johann opened a door and gestured me to enter through it. I walked into a small room filled with crates.

"So Johann, how was the trade? I hope it was beneficial." He went to the wall and took a role of parchment from satchel hanging on the wall.

"Here Stoick: the detailed report of the trade." He unrolled the parchment and started to reveal the detailed reports of the tradings.

"There were thirty-eight diamonds on the sack you provided. Through some sources I had, I made some basic estimates to them and had twelve of them cut. The gem trader told me the smaller seven and the somewhat damaged five would fetch a better price cut." I nodded at that. He was right. Being the trader, it's his specialty to sell for its maximum worth.

"Your timing was perfect Chief Stoick. The traders haven't seen diamonds of such fine quality in a very long time. They were not hesitant to pay extra. The other twenty-six was sold uncut. Around total, I got about nine-thousand gold pieces."

NINE-THOUSAND GOLD PIECES! My eyes nearly went right out their sockets! I didn't think it would be that valuable! Damn those Bogs! I had to rein in the shock, I couldn't break character in front of Johann.

"Well, that's...good to hear. I was thinking a far lesser amount than that."

"Well Chief, I don't mind a bit. I too made a small fortune out of it." He told me and I was happy about it. He was a good trader and his trades were fair. I'd enjoy his company a lot more if not for his annoying tales.

"How much would that be? Don't get me wrong, Johann, I'm just curious."

"Well, I pulled some favors and made a ceremonial sword with the diamond at heart and some other gems that I had. A Roman general took fancy of it and paid eight hundred gold pieces and one hundred silver pieces." Wow! He certainly made a good trade.

"So chief, these two crates are yours." He pointed at two heavy looking lone crates on the corner of the cabin. "When should I expect the next shipment?" He asked joyfully. My face fell sharply.

"Unfortunately, Johann, no further trades are possible. The villagers might have some here and there but I don't think it's wise to explore its source now that it's been claimed." He looked confused. I couldn't blame him.

"With what had happened to Hiccup around that time, excavating the mines wasn't a high priority. Subsequently, another tribe found them after us, claimed them and now we can't do anything about that." Trader Johann's face fell at that.

"Oh dear, here I was hoping that I could continue our gem trade. Well, it was good while it lasted."

I nodded and went to leave. I was almost at the plank exiting his boat when he called me again.

"I'm very sorry about your loss, Chief Stoick. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know." He told me and I gave him a quick nod and left.

The only thing that could help me, Johann, is for my son to be back here with us.

* * *

 _Bog Islands, training grounds, continuous…_

 **Hiccup POV**

Within a fewminutes, they were back with the thickest fur coats that they could find. I took one and wrapped myself in it quickly. Though the healer was already siting on Footprint, I decided it was better that the healer traveled with me. After all, Toothless beat Footprint in speed.

"Cami, I'll take the healer. You take Unadilla but I'll take the weapons, I don't think Footprint will like those."

With that, I grabbed the healer's supplies in one hand, grabbed the small bundle of weapons with the other, and quickly tied them to the saddle. Then I dragged the healer to Toothless. My mind was set on helping Heather. I may not have met her but I owe her and her family my life. I didn't notice the shocked faces of the villagers or Cami's mouth nestling flies. I made the healer touch Toothless' snout so that they both were on happier notes. I think Toothless remembered her because he pushed his snout into her hand in an instant.

After helping the healer to Toothless' saddle, I got into place. I looked at Cami to find all of them frozen in time.

"FOR THE LOVE OF THOR, CAMI! GET THEM ON AND GET ON FOOTPRINT! HEATHER'S DYING OUT THERE!"

That brought them out their reverie. Soon they were on Footprint, wrapped in thick fur coats. Cami and Unadilla grabbed the whisker like things behind Footprint's horns so when we fly, they won't be thrown off. I really should have designed a saddle for her.

"The Peaceable islands are that way, right?" I asked Cami pointing to the direction. But it was the healer who answered.

"Yes, that way. Now get moving, boy." I nodded and gave Cami a small nod to make sure she was ready.

"Hold on tight, healer, we're going top speed today. Alright bud, today we're using cloud currents! Fly as fast as you can!"

Toothless purred, nodded, and then, in a blink of an eye, we took off. In a few seconds, the Bog islands were a mere dot on the ocean. I looked back and saw that Cami was somewhat behind us but it doesn't matter. In the cloud currents, a dragon's speed matters very little.

"Healer, hold on tight, it's going to be rough for a while!" I yelled over my shoulder and I felt the arms around my waist tighten like a vice. We waited below the clouds till Cami caught up and after that we flew straight through the clouds.

The sudden change of the wind hit us like a bludgeon. Toothless and I have experienced this before, so we were ready. The healer, however, was not. When the current hit us, she tripled her grip on me. It was a good thing that Toothless folded his wings and adjusted himself to the flow quickly because if not, my head would probably have popped like a cork. No one could keep their eyes open in these winds so I closed them and lied flat on the saddle. I felt the healer doing the same and soon we were settled in for the ride.

Hang on, Heather. We're on our way!

* * *

 _Outside former Peaceable islands, Magic Hour…_

 **Camicazi POV**

We've been in the strong winds for hours. If this wasn't a life and death situation, I would have killed Hiccup for making me travel this way. The wind was super cold when we entered the clouds but now, I could tell it was freezing. I couldn't open my eyes; they were frozen shut. I could feel the night coming and if it was freezing now, then the night would very well kill us with the cold. If it wasn't for the whiskers of Footprint, both I and Unadilla would have been blown off his back a long time ago. I may have to apply some ointment to them after we head home. I think we yanked them pretty hard. So I needed to ask Hiccup for whisker ointment and a saddle. He owes me a favor anyway, so I don't think he'd object.

I felt Footprint begin his descent. From the previous experience, I tighten my knees around his neck and grabbed the whiskers a bit harder. Not that I could harden my grip on them, anyway. The usual feeling of falling from the mast of a ship into water came and then the cold wind of the night melted the ice away from the cloths and from my face. The cold wind of the night was like a warm summer breeze compared to the freezing temperature in the clouds.

After I manage to open my eyes, I was shocked to see what greeted us.

We are a few miles away from the island, but even from here I can see the dying fires everywhere. Hiccup was hovering so that we could catch up and soon we did.

"Let's never use that again." I growled. He just rubbed the back of his neck and gave me an apologetic, damnably cute, gap-toothed smile. The hood of his cloak was down but I could see the lines of minor frostbite on his face.

"Deal…now let's hurry! We need to save Heather." He told me and started to fly towards the island. When we were passing the docks, Toothless suddenly started shooting at random directions on the dock.

"Cut it out, bud! No time to play around, we need to find the girl who brought me to the Bog, remember?" He asked Toothless.

That was when I realized something crucial.

"HICCUP! IT'S A TRAP!"

Before we could do anything, a few flaming boulders and a volley of flaming arrows started flying towards the Night Fury. Luckily, the dragon was aware of the threat before we were. He blasted the boulders and dodged the arrows and fired small purplish blue shots everywhere.

"Why don't we help them?" I suggested Footprint with a small pat on the side of his neck.

"Drop me, Cami. I can help you from down there. "Unadilla told me and after a quick detour to drop her we helped Toothless. After a few minutes, Toothless landed on the dock and we followed suit.

"I knew it! This was an ambush all along! Toothless, forget one, you're getting three full buckets of fish when we get back. I don't know what I'd be without you, bud."

"A muttonhead, obviously." I told under my breath.

"I HEARD THAT!" He yelled, but his smile held no offense.

"That's all of them. I'd say about twenty, thirty men were here. Not the best ambush if you ask me." Unadilla told us, walking with a blood coated sword in hand. She dropped it before coming closer to us and now we were waiting for Hiccup to speak.

"EHEM…." I cleared my throat, getting his attention.

"OH. Well I was thinking that though this may be a lie to get us caught in a trap, we should still find Heather…just to be sure, you know?" I got the idea, better we know for sure that we had nothing else to do than regret it later on. So I gave a quick nod.

"Toothless, you remember the girl who brought us to the Bog?"

A nod from Toothless.

"Great. Track her scent, she may need us." Toothless gave a quick sniff of the surroundings and then he flew off. In no time, we were in the village and in front of a mostly intact house with a white flag on the top of it.

"I think she's in there." he told us.

"Cami, I think it's better if we handled her. We don't know what state she's in, Hiccup's a boy and considering what Bertha told us, he should not see her." Unadilla whispered to my ear. She was right! Why haven't I thought of that before?

"Hiccup, drop the healer and the luggage, then scout the island for more survivors." I told…ordered him.

"OK." He told me overenthusiastically and quickly helped the healer out of the saddle, untied the healer's supplies and the weapons, and then he was off.

"Good thinking, Cami. I was wondering how to send him away properly" The healer told us while grabbing her supplies and walking closer to the house. We were lighting a lantern so we could see the surroundings as it was already quite dark.

"It was Unadilla's idea. Considering how quickly he left, he might have been thinking the same thing." I told them.

When we entered the house, the stench of rotting flesh struck our noses. I had to pinch mine tightly so that I can use it again. Don't get me wrong, the whole village smelled dead. The rot was everywhere but this was the worst. We went to the dining room/the first floor of the house. Unadilla was the first to enter and she gasped loudly. Hearing that, we hurried behind.

What I saw, I will never erase from my mind.

A butcher's table lay before us, rivulets of blood flowing down the sides. On the table lay the gouged, eviscerated body of Heather's beautiful mother, Ivy Freespirit. On the corner was the avulsed, incinerated corpse of Heather's courageous father, Aconite Freespirit. In the center of the room, we saw a bathtub filled with blood. Despite the coagulated bloodstains and deathly pale skin, I could never forget the normally jubilant face of Heather Freespirit herself.

"She's still alive! I can see the pulse on her neck!" The healer told us and flew off to help her. We were not far behind. I quickly grabbed a leather blanket by which the weapons were tied and laid it out on the least filthy place I could find. Then the healer and Unadilla gently fished her out of the tub and laid her there. Her skin looked just like the flesh underneath that. She was wearing only her under garments which the healer quickly removed.

"I can't help her! She has too many wounds and I don't have enough medicine with me. We have to take her to Bog quickly. She may only have a few hours left. How could anyone do anything like this?!"

As if things couldn't get worse, the Gods opened the door for a pair of innocent green eyes to witness this atrocity.

* * *

 _Bog Burglar Island, continuous…_

 **Bertha POV**

Chaos reigned our village.

The dragons started to loot food. First they started with the feeding stations. They were not filled to the brim because at the time, we only had two dragons. Within a day or two, our dragon population skyrocketed to the hundreds. They devoured the dragon feed, the food storages and now they are on the houses' food storages.

A few hours ago, we welcomed these creatures with open arms.

Hiccup instructed us to not use weapons against dragons if we wanted to train them and ride them so we withheld our swords. As such, the dragons eat away like there was no tomorrow. Also, while we may have made peace with the dragons, the news apparently did not reach our livestock. The chickens refused to leave their hen houses. The sheep and the yaks lay on their sides in the fields as though someone tipped them. The villagers, who originally believed in welcoming dragons to Bog, now cursed under their breath.

Hiccup went to rescue Heather. I felt bad for him; he never seemed to catch a break. No matter where he travels to, someone will always need him. He made the right choice. If Heather needs immediate medical assistance, his Night Fury's speed might save her life. However, this meant that once again, our dragon expert could not help us rein in these creatures.

I hope they return soon, otherwise we may have to rebuild most of the village.

* * *

 _Former peaceable islands, Heather's house, continuous..._

 **Hiccup POV**

I wanted to puke. I wanted to hurl. I wanted to vomit.

Bodies upon bodies upon bodies greeted our sights. A huge pyre stood at the center of the village and even Toothless didn't want to go further than that. I couldn't blame him. The scent of rotten and burning flesh beat our noses down. The streets were littered with women and children without a single string of clothing on their bodies. I didn't need to use my imagination to realize that whoever attacked the Peaceables had their way with them. When I got to the boar pits, it took everything I had not to gouge out my own eyes.

I couldn't deal with this anymore. I couldn't find any survivors and neither could Toothless. Every single Peaceable that had not burned on that pyre lay before us, dead, naked, and utterly annihilated. We needed to find Heather and leave. I headed back to Cami. I opened the door and entered, eager to rid myself of these terrible visions. Whatever that house held couldn't be worse than what I saw in those streets.

In all my 15 years of living, fate has never, ever proven I more wrong than it did then.

When I looked inside, I nearly went back out into the streets. A brunt, one legged corpse of a man sat in a chair. I couldn't imagine how hard he must have screamed. From the looks of the large maim of hair, the pile of rotting flesh on the table was a woman. I couldn't breathe when I imagined the hell she suffered. The three ladies I came with were kneeling beside a naked and mangled body of a girl around my age. Everything I ate came to my mouth. They hurriedly covered her when they saw me and even before they could blame me I started to head upstairs. I ran as fast as my one and half legs could carry me. I entered the first room that I saw, ran to the window and emptied my stomach. After I finished, something suddenly hit me. All this death, all this destruction…

It was my fault.

I fell to my knees and stared in the sky in horror. Why didn't they tell them what they needed to know in the first place? Even if they found us, we had dragons to defend us! No one had to die. We could have helped them. But no! All of these people, all these innocent men, women, children, and elders…they died to protect a Hiccup. My lips produced a mouthless scream and I brought both my fists down. One hit the floor with a wooden thud, but oddly enough, the other hit the floor with a dull thud.

Thinking that a distraction might help me, I knocked on the wooden board. It sounded hollow. I pried a corner of the floor board and when it came loose, there was a small chest with a golden Skrill mark on it. This must have belonged to a Berserker Chief!

"DAGUR." I growled. There's no way in hell Oswald would've done anything like this, not even to save his bastard son. Dagur's the only one I had the displeasure to know who would do something as abominable as this.

I tried to open it but it didn't budge. So I placed it on the bed and looked around more. Seeing that I didn't find anything unusual, I went into a small room with a smaller bed.

Perhaps this room belonged to Heather. The last one had to belong to her parents. Plus, many girlish ornaments hung there. Interestingly enough, I saw an ornate horn on a holster near the head of her bed. I took it and when I saw the mark carved on it, I almost dropped it. I could never forget that crest.

It belonged to Berk.

"HICCUP. GET DOWN HERE!"

At Cami's call, I went down after grabbing the horn and the chest. When I entered the ground floor, my nausea returned in full force. They secured Heather to a long wooden slab with a leather blanket. A white sheet covered her, save for the holes made for her to breathe through. They all looked sad and angry. I really hoped none of the anger came my way.

"What can I do? How is she?" I asked them.

"At the most, she'll last 3 hours, but without proper treatment, she'll die. Hiccup, I'm sorry, we were too late. There's nothing we can do for her now."

No.

"Can't you save her?! She didn't deserve this! None of them deserved this!" I fell to my knees and grabbed my head. I stood at the precipice of insanity at the fact that an entire village died to protect me. If Heather dies as well, I may very well lose it.

"I can try Hiccup but I don't have…"

"You can heal her at Bog right?" She nodded. If we got to Bog fast, we can save her. I may have failed these innocent people, but I refused to fail Heather. With that my mind started to work overdrive. We need to heal the wounds and I remember how.

"Cami, I want you to gather as many as blankets as you can! You two, untie her from the plank. I'll be right back with Toothless!" I ran after giving them orders. I grabbed a helmet off a dead Viking, a dented mug then whistled for Toothless. He came to me in the blink of an eye.

"Toothless, Heather needs our help! I need your saliva so she can live!" I held the cups out, but he ran to the house instead. He could barely fit through the door. Then I got his idea. He wanted to lick her.

"I got it! Stay right here, bud. I'll get her out." I ran back in to find the three of them staying right where they was.

"CAMI! What are you doing here?! Gather the blankets, will you? Heather doesn't have much time!"

"First off, you don't order me around without telling why, Hiccup. Secondly, you are not the healer. If she can't heal her, how can you?" I had a short fuse, but Heather had no time, so I pinched the flame before it hit the powder.

"I know I'm not a healer. I'm going to make time so she can heal her! Now will you please do what I ask, Camicazi?!" I begged. I felt like she understood the gravity of the situation when I didn't use her nickname that time.

"Okay…Whatever you want, Hiccup…" She ran upstairs.

"You two, I need you to take Heather out so Toothless can lick her."

"Are you insane?!" the healer asked.

"I'm not! Night Fury saliva has incredible healing properties. I ought to know, I swallowed it! Why do you think that-you know what, why are we wasting time arguing?! Heather is dying here!"

They looked at each other for a second and then carried her out. I took the lantern and followed them. As soon as we were out, the healer untied the leather blanket and I looked away. Even unconscious, I doubt she'd understand if some boy saw her without clothes. I soon heard the wet slapping sound of Toothless' tongue. I shudder at the sounds. After a few minutes, the wet slapping noise ceased.

"Erm…Is she good? Can I look?" I asked shyly. A few seconds passed and I can hear the sound of the leather blanket rustling.

"You can look now." Unadilla told me. After seeing her beneath the blanket again, I walked towards Toothless and gave him a scratch under the chin as an appreciation for his work. I then took the spare rope for the paddle system and started running it through the saddle so she could be tied to his belly.

"Buddy, I'm going to tie Heather to your belly soon. Be careful with her please" I told him and he gave a nod.

"After Cami gathers the blankets, I want you to tie her into the warmest bundle you can. I'll be back in a minute."

I went to what remained of a possible tavern. I saw some glass jars there while observing the cadavers. After finding a bottom of a jar, I walked back towards Footprint. We piled our winter clothes near him and now the healer and I need others ones too.

I cut off the hood of one coat and then folded it around the glass so the edges wouldn't cut me. I also made a clear hole in the middle for vision. After a few minutes and a coat trimmed to strips, I covered my face with a glass.

"Hiccup! She's decent. Where are you?" Cami's voice flew through the night.

"Mmmph comfming." **[1]** I yelled but the glass muffled my voice.

When I got closer, I gestured Toothless to stand on his hind legs which he gladly did. Then with the help of the others, I slipped Heather, the bundle of blankets, into the loops of rope and tightened them. When we finished, Toothless gently came back to all fours.

"Mmmmph hmmfm mhmm, fmmhm ming mmr comfm. Hoom hoom mmh mm mmh mm mmhmm mmhm mmmhmmm. Mmhmm, mmhmm hmm mmhm mmmhmm mmhmmm mh mm mmh. Mmhmmmhm, mhm mmm hmmmmh, mmhmmheem hmm, hmm hm hmhmmm mh mmmmhm, mmhmm mmhmm mmm mmhmm hmm hmm!" **[2]**

They stood, petrified. But before I could say anything else, the healer started encasing herself in the fur and I followed her. I started to sweat in the coats and strapped in Toothless' saddle. I waved at them before patting Toothless' head, gesturing him to fly.

Toothless took off carefully. Usually, he just shot into the sky but this time Toothless flapped his wings madly without jumping lifting us off the ground. Soon we ascended into the clouds and he stared to fly super-fast before entering the current. Amazingly, we entered more smoothly this time around. It felt more like hitting a rock while walking than getting hit with a bludgeon. We lay flat on our fronts on Toothless' back when he first started to gain speed. This time, rather than tucking his wings in, he cocooned the underside if his body with his wings like he always did when I slept on him.

* * *

 _Former Peaceable islands, continuous…_

 **Camicazi POV**

Within seconds, the Night Fury and the rider diapered into the cold night. I still tried to come to terms with what just happened, but how could I? In pressured situations, the Hiccup we usually see disappears. In his place, some new confident, determined Hiccup appears who knew what was right and did it precisely at the right time. He even held himself differently. This Hiccup proved himself as a born leader, even if he won't admit it.

We decided to euthanize Heather. No one, not even those subhuman Outcasts or those degenerate Berserkers who did this, deserved this kind of pain. We thought that he would have understood that. But Hiccup singlehandedly changed our mind by knocking some sense into us. He even yelled at the three of us. That took some serious guts. Hell, he even argued with me without hesitation and won. No one's ever yelled at me at gotten away with it except mum and some elders.

In truth, I wouldn't mind getting to know this confident Hotcup a little bit more.

"Well Cami, we better get started on the task list" Unadilla told me. I nodded, now that Heather stood a better chance of living, we could focus on what Hiccup asked us to do.

"I think it's better if we get the things he dropped and gather Heather's possessions before sending them off to Valhalla." It wouldn't get done easily, but we had to do it. After all, sending them to Odin's table without all their limbs would definitely dishonor them.

"Alright, gather those things and come up. I'll go there and see if there's anything that needs packing."

After we lit another torch, we went in to the house. She went upstairs and I had to find where Hiccup dropped them. The golden ornate symbol on the box glowed from the light of the lantern. Hiccup sure didn't make it hard to find them. Upon picking them up, I soon realized why he wanted me to retrieve them.

The box had a golden skrill which was the sign of a Berserker Chief and the horn had the Berk crest carved to it. Free folks like the Peaceables rarely ever had these. I took the items in one hand and held the lantern in the other and walked up the stairs. Unadilla placed the torch on the wall, illuminating both rooms

"Cami, come here. You might want to see this." Unadilla called me. She might have heard my footsteps because she was not yelling, just calling voice for a person close by.

"I'm here, what is it?" I asked her. I didn't know why she called me until I walked into the room.

Just how many secrets did the Freespirits have?

We saw an open closet and some of the clothes that belonged in there lay on the bed. We shifted the closet to find another room.

"I knew something was off about this house. The second floor was way smaller than that it should've been. Well, here's why!" Unadilla told me and I nodded in agreement. As I carried the lantern, I shed some light in there.

I've known two types of weird. "Hiccup" weird and what I saw then.

On the wall facing the door hung a female gladiator's uniform and a roman general's uniform with the armor. On the side of the wall to the side of the gladiator armor hung a folding axe wielded only by gladiators, a bow, a quiver and a wickedly curved sword. On the wall to the roman commander armor hung a pair of cutlasses; ones somewhat similar to the ones I had on the wall. Next to the armor hung a spear and a roman shield that belonged to the fourth legion.

Looks like these Freespirits had lives before emigrating to the Peaceable tribe.

I don't know about Heather, but I could tell that her parents, Ivy and Aconite fought long and hard as soldiers of the Roman Empire and after a while, found no meaning in war and opted for a peaceful life on some island far away from their home. By the worn out look on the gladiator armor, they had bathed in the blood of war more than a few times. The roman armor looked new, despite its tarnished shape. I know for a fact that the higher ranking romans always had their armor in top condition, no matter how damaged they were. The weapons, however, looked as if no one had cleaned them since the smith had molded them

"Let's take these with us. She may or may not know about their past, but I think she will need something to remember them by." I told Unadilla. She nodded and went back to the bed to remove the sheet from it.

"It makes sense now. The letter Alvin sent said that we chose well when finding people to keep a secret. By the look of the corpses, they only gave in after those bastards put Heather at risk. No one except a battle hardened warrior can do that!" I agreed. Aconite, or whatever name he carried, looked like hell. They must have tortured him for information and when he wouldn't comply, they used his wife and daughter.

While she removed the sheet from the bed, I went to Heather's room to gather some clothes for her and the blankets from her bed. After I returned, we removed both sets of armors, the folding axe, and the pair of cutlasses from the wall and packed them. The spear, bow and the shield would weigh Footprint down. So we left them alone so we could return for them when we didn't have such a heavy load.

After we finished packing the essentials that Heather may need, we tied the bundle around Footprints neck. He may not have minded, but I could tell he would rather I didn't make a habit of this

Now then, the most challenging part of our instructions, per Hiccup.

We didn't want to spend a second longer than needed on this village so we did what we could do. After we salvaged another bathing tub from a burned down house, we started filling the tub with what remained of Ivy Freespirit. This difficult, revolting task made me hurl more than twice. After placing her in the tub, we covered with some of her clothes so she could enter Valhalla with a bit of modesty. We put Aconite and his severed leg into the tub previously occupied by an unconscious Heather. Unlike his wife, he didn't have blood everywhere, but the stench of burnt flesh still disturbed me. We had to carry the two tubs to the docks ourselves, not only because Footprint refused to come closer to them, but if we tried to force Footprint to carry this and he failed, which would definitely happen, we'd have to find another way home.

After a few hours of hard labor, we managed to get a boat ready and sailed it off to the sea. We shot flaming arrows at the lantern light of the ship, wishing that they sat next to each other so that they could enjoy every moment together in Valhalla. After we finished sailing off the ship, we begrudgingly finished the job of those subhuman maniacs and burned every corpse of the Peaceables that we could find.

With this, we had sent every member of the Peaceable tribe, save for Heather, off to Valhalla, where they belonged. We left their former island in Ivy's clothes and cloaks. We ruined ours and frankly, I needed a shower in the worst way, and this thought came from me. I hope Hiccup managed to take Heather home in time. As for those Outcasts and those Berserkers, well…

No god would protect them for what I would do to them if I ever had the displeasure of seeing them again.

* * *

 _Outside Bog Islands, midnight…_

 **Hiccup POV**

A few hours have passed since we recovered Heather. I couldn't sleep. Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever sleep soundly again.

I couldn't sleep knowing that a whole tribe no longer existed because of me. Toothless unwound his wings from its cocoon and tucked them in on either side of him. I knew then and there that we didn't have that much further to get home. He dropped out of the cloud currents and we dove like an arrow released from a bow. We tore through the night sky and I could literally see a cone of mist forming near Toothless' head. After we slowed down sufficiently, he spread out his wings and started to flap them. My eyes welcomed the sight of the candlelit village of Bog. Toothless let out a roar through the night sky and then he gently landed in the town square. I dismounted him quickly and helped the healer dismount Toothless. After the healer came down, Toothless gently fell on his side do we could remove the valuable bundle of fur tied to his belly without dropping it.

"Heemhmm, cmm shmm hmmhmmhmm hm hmm. Hmm heem hm hmm hm." **[3]**

"Aye Hiccup, I think now we can save her. Thanks to you" she told me. If I hadn't devoted my efforts to cutting Heather's bonds loose, I probably would blurted out something dumb. After freeing Heather, I helped the healer to start taking her to the healer's hut.

We would've made more progress if a mob of Bogs didn't stand in our way to greet us.

"How is she, Hiccup?"

"How come you are back this early?"

"What is that thing on your face?"

"What about the other Peaceables?"

"Where is my daughter?!"

Questions bombarded us. I quickly removed the makeshift mask of glass so I can speak clearly.

"LATER! NOW WE NEED TO HELP HER! SHE IS DYING AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO PLAY TWENTY QUESTIONS!" I yelled effectively silencing them. Soon a few Bogs came to help with Heather and we went to the healer's hut.

"Thank you, Hiccup. I can take it from here. You can wait out here, dear." I nodded and stood outside with the villagers, who stood impatiently to hear about Heather.

"So Hiccup, care to fill me in on where Cami is?" Bertha asked me. Suddenly, it hit me.

I just exploded in front of Big Boobied Bertha, Chief of the Bog Burglar tribe. Well, I definitely had a Blood Eagle waiting for me now.

"Erm…. She will come soon. We took their furs too so they can't use the cloud currents. They may come tomorrow or so." I told her. She considered it for a second and nodded. I took that moment to apologize before she banished me.

"Chief Bertha, I'm very, extra sorry that I yelled at you. I was in a hurry and Heather needed treatments and I was hopeless without…" I would've kept going but Bertha's booming laughter cut me off.

"I could see that and I don't blame you. Things like that happen. But aside from that, Hiccup…was Alvin right? What's become of the Peaceables?" She asked me. My face fell at that. My guilt from yelling at Bertha quickly fell before my guilt from indirectly causing the Peaceables'…

"Complete annihilation. I don't even want to tell you what I saw. I'll leave it to Unadilla." I told her. I couldn't hide the disappointment in myself, not even if I wanted to.

"Hiccup, it wasn't your fault. Alvin and Dagur did this, and I promise you, they will pay for their crimes." She told me. I wanted to believe her, I really did but I couldn't. I sat down on a bench near the door.

"I want to believe you, Chief." I blurted out. I entertained myself with thoughts of what I could've done, what I should've done, and what would've happened if I did. If I had known that those bastards would do this, I would've gone there faster than Toothless could've. When they saw me, they'd follow me for sure, leaving the village unharmed. I fell so deep in my thoughts that I didn't even notice Bertha sitting beside me. I registered her when she pulled my head to her chest like a mother would do to her child. She started rubbing my back gently. It caught me off guard but after a few seconds, I settled down and felt safe, safer than I had felt while sleeping within Toothless' wings.

"I know the feeling Hiccup. I've felt it every time one of my tribe passes on to Valhalla or loses a limb. You feel like you could have done something to prevent them from getting hurt but there's nothing you could or can do." She soothed. In her arms, I felt like a five year old cuddling up to his mother after a horrible nightmare. Unfortunately, I could not register the tragedy of the Peaceables as a nightmare, but I had to accept it as reality.

"What can I do to make this feeling go away? It's like having a boulder at the place of my heart." I told her. She keep rubbing my back for a few more seconds before she answered me.

"You can't, Hiccup. No one can. What you can do, however, is build a fortress on that boulder so that when or if something like this ever happens again, you can protect the ones who need your protection. Grow strong, Hiccup, strong enough to protect that fortress from anyone who tries to lay siege to it!"

I didn't quite understand at first, but after a few minutes, I did. I won't let this guilt defeat me. Instead, I'll let it motivate me. I'll train with every weapon from the smallest dagger to the largest hammer. If this happens again, I won't run and hide behind anyone. Instead, I'll let everyone run behind me. I'm done with this "One legged Viking who can't do anything without his dragon" nonsense. I'll become stronger and prove that as much as I need and love Toothless, I can protect myself just as well. With this, I turned this boulder into my foundation. With the guilt in my heart easing away, two words came out of my mouth that I never thought I'd say to anyone else.

"Thanks, mum."

"Get some rest, son, you need it." She said gently after a few seconds. In my new mother's embrace, I found the comfort I needed to finally sleep.

* * *

Muffled Text Translation

 **[1]. "I'm coming."**

 **[2]. "Listen carefully, we're taking your cloaks. Travel normally back to the Bog since you can't use the currents due to the lack of winter wear. Cami, I need you to grab the horn and the chest I dropped inside the house. Look for anything Heather may want to keep as well. Unadilla, I want you to send the Freespirits, actually no, send the whole tribe off to Valhalla. They don't deserved to be treated like this!"**

 **[3]. "Healer, call some villagers to help. You need to save her."**

* * *

 **A.N.**

Here's another chapter for you guys. First of all, you guys are AWESOME. 8 reviews for one chapter, come on! you people are super! That's the highest I have ever received on a single chapter. As the icing on the cake this Fic now have 51 favorites. Again thanks for all the readers.

A special thanks goes to my beta MODdenial. Without him this story will never be this good. so he have most of the credit.

hope this chap is good. Reviews are always welcomed.

 **Deathjest;** Thanks for the review. Glad you like hiccami. you have to read further to see weather they die I guess. I think hiccup can snap but he is a kind spirit, so I don't feel like making him a revenge type of guy. Thanks again for the review.

 **Guest;** Thanks for the review. Another hiccami fan, yee! to me this already feel like one sided hiccstrid, don't you? anyway hope you like this chapter too.

 **nhkosoy;** Thanks for the review. It's cool that the thing do for him will be the thing that will blow up on her face.

 **THE Hobbit;** Thanks for the review. I will try. I have an idea based on another fanfic which I was hoping to do as a hiccstrid one. It will take time though. This story have to be completed first.

 **mc arno;** Merci pour l'examen. heureux que vous avez aimé l'histoire. espérons que vous allez continuer à lire l'histoire. remerciements spéciaux à " Google Translate " parce que je ne sais pas français.

 **.9279;** Thanks for the review. They will get what they deserve. Rather brutally I might add. Hope you find this chapter interesting as well.(I seriously have no idea why I can't add your name correctly.)

 **Guest;** thanks for the review. I like hiccami too(obviously). Cami will be like the whole package. All Astrid, Heather and Ruff included. I did dialed down the violence part of her though.

 **Guest;** Thanks for the review. No evil heather here. Just a seriously hurt one. She won't go kill other tribes. But same can't be said about the ones who toured her. she will heal her self in the future. With the help of some foreigner *hint hint*

 ****update 22/08/2016** I noticed that this chapter contained something that this chap should not contain that will put the continuum out of sync. I edited it out so the continuum is unharmed. if someone who read the chap before the edit noticed that and it made the story confusing, I'm truly sorry. for those who haven't noticed don't mind this.**


	19. Uncovering Bonds

_Bog Burglar village, near the healer's hut…_

 **Bertha POV**

"How about we discuss these matters AFTER the people who saw the whole thing arrive?" I told the gathering while rubbing my temple with the heel of my hand.

"Haven't I told you that there's no use of discussing these matters now? It's been a long day, well, yesterday was, anyway. Give the chief some time to rest." She told after a quick glance at the sky.

The women looked at me and nodded. They wouldn't leave until I promised that Hiccup and Camicazi would speak about what happened to the Peaceables later. I have had three meetings so far; one with the council of elders, one with our armies, and one with some concerned villagers. I have yet to get a single ounce of sleep but seeing that the morning is almost upon us, it seems that today is another day that I have to give my sleep to the village. I almost envied the boy in my lap for sleeping so soundly while gave my sleep to the village.

Hiccup hadn't woken since his first wink of 40. I didn't mind a single bit about him sleeping on my lap. None of the women gathered to the meetings uttered a single word about it. Most of the villagers have been a mother at some point of their life. Even the young girls, including Cami, are thought how to handle babies from age of eight. It's not as direct as the weapon training or any other training but we teach them nonetheless. Seeing Hiccup sleeping soundly on my lap awakened my motherly instincts. They never left, but when Cami had turned five, I had no need to rock her to sleep. They understood that Hiccup might have needed this considering all he's been through in under a year so they kept their voices down.

But to me, Hiccup didn't just need this. He deserved this.

The love shared between Stoick and Valka Valhallarama Haddock would never fall to the memory of time. She came from a modest family. At the time of Stoick's heirdom, he loved Valka with every fiber of his body. Plenty of families appealed to him, promising riches and wealth, but no, he wanted to marry Valka because he loved her. He even persuaded his father, chief Boar-head, to agree to the marriage and give his blessings to them. Despite the rumors families spread about them, their love stayed intact.

They completed each other.

Stoick personified his name. He showed affection through actions, not through gentle pats on the shoulders. Valka had compassion and love as wide as the Meridian. Don't get me wrong, Valka still had the boiling blood of a Viking in her bones. In fact, she knocked two teeth right out of his mouth in the middle of a "Thing" because he had scolded their son for no good reason.

When Valka died, that proud, loving Stoick had died with her.

Hiccup didn't come off as an ordinary Viking. In fact, he had a class of his own ever since he could crawl. Valka held them together; she bridged the gap between the father and the son. When she died, he tried his best to fulfill his duties as a father.

We all know how that ended up.

Now his only son, now a member of the Bog-Burglar tribe, lay on the lap of the chieftess with his Night Fury friend, Toothless close by, defying every single Viking tradition. I talked to Gobber before he left about Stoick's condition. Anyone who knew Stoick knew that he has a heart, he has emotions. He just has a hard time showing them. Anyone who knew him before his wife had died knew that.

 _**flash back**_

 _"So Gobber, you're going to leave now?" I asked Gobber._

 _We agreed that he would return to Berk, carrying the news that he found nothing in his detection, but he found one thing or another thing to help so he stayed._

 _"Aye, I have to. That poor fool will fold in on himself without me." I knew right away that he spoke of his chief and best friend. As a chieftess myself, it paid to know of another chief's nature and personally, Stoick's health really concerned me._

 _"I was thinking, how's Stoic holding up? I remember how he was like when he lost Valka. I can't begin to imagine how horrible it must feel to lose the one thing you have left to love."_

 _Gobber's face fell at that. I knew that I had hit the nail on the head._

 _"He's holding up, but barely." Then he looked around to see whether anyone is listening and continued._

 _"Between you and me, he is not himself. When I left for here, he was killing dragons to ease his pain. That's why I told Hiccup that I agree with him and won't utter a single word about him to the chief. In time, Hiccup will miss his father enough to the point that he must return. I don't want Stoick's stress killing to prevent that."_

 _I looked at him for a while. I showed no emotion on my face, but internally I flew right out of my socks. Who would've thought that Gobber, a person commonly considered shallow, thought this deep? I nodded and agreed to him wholeheartedly. That boy is still wounded and healing from the scars left behind by his tribe of old. In time, when his heart is healed, he will start to miss his father, though I really hoped that didn't mean he'd reclaim his heirdom._

 _"I guess I could hope that you would be keeping him from anything rash?" I asked him._

 _"Of course, you could. In fact, if it weren't for me, the village would've burned to the ground the moment he became chief. Let me tell you, if I didn't go to the forge..."_

 _He began his third favorite tale to tell, just coming behind the Boneknapper tale and the tale of him losing half his limbs to Monstrous Nightmares._

 _**end flashback**_

Picking up Hiccup, I started walking towards my house. Having Hiccup sleep on my lap brought me an odd feeling of peace, but I have my duty for the village. Within a few minutes, I tucked Hiccup in the former guest bed of my house. Toothless, who followed me from the healer's hut, settled down beside the bed.

"Take good care of him, Toothless." I told to the curling dragon. He replied with a salutary "bark."

I headed back to the healer's hut to see whether there were any developments regarding Heather's condition. After going in to the healer's hut with Heather, she hasn't stepped out. If Hiccup hadn't come to us when he did, we wouldn't know what to do. In fact, Heather's family brought him here in the first place, now we're saving her life.

"Have you heard anything about the condition of Heather?" I asked Vinnie while sitting on the bench in front of the healer's hut.

"She is not out yet. You know how she is when someone needs her." I nodded at that. The healer's hut door opened, garnering our attention. The healer of our village emerged, covered in blood.

"Ah! Bertha, I thought you have left by now." She told me.

"I was going to, but I have to know about the condition of Heather before I go back to my duties." She gave me a worried smile and turned toward Vinnie.

"Hello, Vinnie."

"Hello, Healer. So how's Heather doing?" Vinnie asked after giving the healer a small nod.

"To be fair, she's doing much better than I thought she would. She's quite a tough one. Honestly, at first, I didn't think she'd last more than a few hours"

Somehow that struck me as odd.

Berk's healer, elder Gothi, ranked the highest in healing. In fact, elder Gothi knows how to heal every illness in the archipelago. When it comes to healing, our healer ranks just below her. When she gives grave conditions about her patients, they usually don't make it through. Miracles or disasters usually awaited those who deviated from her predictions.

"How much have she gone through? We barely got to see her through the bundle of blankets. Will there be any long lasting damages?" I asked the healer.

"Healer, is she still a maiden? Gods, if they deflowered her, we will declare a blood feud against those subhuman Outcasts and those savage Berserkers!" Vinnie seethed and I agreed with every word she said.

"I've looked at her and I can tell you that she is still virtuous. However, the rest of her body is not quite as intact." The healer said in a small voice. Without waiting for us to speak, she continued on.

"I have seen people come out from a losing side of the outcast pits with better shape. She's been whipped to the bone -"

Both Vinnie and I gasped at that.

"I was able to stitch her up. At some places that I'm sure the wound was nicking the bone. And that's not even the worst part" She pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled loudly.

"What happened? I thought she was untouched?" I told her. I stood in confusion. By our village's standards, violating a woman automatically carries the sentence of a Blood Eagle. What could they have done to her that made…oh dear Gods, no!

"She was branded by the Outcast crest. She will bear that disgusting mark until the day she dies. They have branded five outcast insignias on her back in a floral pattern. Those degenerates probably thought it fitting because she was named after a flower."

I couldn't believe anyone could do something so horrid. Oh, this girl. Oh, gods help this poor, poor girl. Before we could utter a single word, one of the trainee healers under her came out in a rush.

"Healer! She woke up and her fever is rising! You need to come inside right now!" without even sparing us a second glance she was off to her patient.

"Well, that was fast." commented Vinnie.

"To be honest, this terrifies me. If she's awake with that kind of damage to her body, how could she find courage to live on over the pain?" I asked her. After giving me an understanding nod, we went our separate ways to do our duties for the day.

Heather, none of her people deserved what happened to them. My thoughts wavered to Cami. If she went through half of what Heather went through, I'm sure she would've died and the thought an innocent Cami makes me chuckle a bit. I'm sure that even a tough girl like my daughter can't bear a fraction of something like this, so how could anyone make a girl so innocent suffer so much?

* * *

 _A few hours past noon, near the Bog-Burglar waters…_

 **Camicazi POV**

The lack of ethics in this world disgusts me. Seriously, who in their right minds would leave a raided village without disposing the dead? Dawn had come when we finished with the task that Hiccup gave to us.

This never should've happened, especially to the Peaceables. We never completely saw eye to eye, but we never hated them, and I'm pretty sure they didn't hate us, either. They just didn't like our attitude towards males.

Never did we think anyone would commit genocide against them.

It still shocked me that overnight, two tribes of barbarians annihilated an entire tribe of pacifists and the sole survivor of that tribe, who also saved the very life of my unofficial boyfriend, lay on her potential deathbed, fighting for her life right now. In retrospect, I didn't know everything about Heather, did I?

I tugged on Footprint's whiskers, slowing his speed, and turned my attention to my surroundings. We flew right above home. I steered footprint towards my house and untied the burden from him for his great relief.

"Unadilla, I don't know about you but I'm going to the hot water springs to rub myself rid of this foul smell." I told her while walking into my house.

"You've got a great idea, Cami. Wait for me at the edge of the forest." she told me before leaving to get her cloths.

I walked to the hot water springs in a hurry with fresh clothes, a bar of soap and a pelt. I only had to wait a few minutes till Unadilla came. Without waiting any longer, we went to the hot water springs, discarded the borrowed clothes as soon as we could and dove right in to the soothing water. One of the benefits of living in a village made mostly out of women is that in bathing times, there's no need for modesty. Also, we could get plenty of back scrubs.

"So Cami, you think Heather will make it through?" Unadilla asked me, starting the conversation.

"I don't really know. I've never seen anyone tortured to that extent. What happened to Heather makes what happened to Hiccup look like simple roughhousing." I told her frankly while scrubbing my hand extra hard.

"I've seen some. More of them than I should have."

She seemed to be lost in those memories from the unfocused look on her eyes. Seeing that this is not a something that prying will do no good, I was about to change the topic when she continued on.

"When I was in Rome on my younger days, I met someone I used to know from childhood."

She sighed fondly before she shook her head and continued.

"Long story short, he was tortured by the Romans because we stole a whole crate of imperial gold."

A small whistle left my lips as that indeed was a huge thing. Romans guard their gold with their lives. Stealing that ranked high on the Bog-Burglar scale. But the look on Unadilla's face told me a different story. When I put on a questioning face, she swallowed what she was going to say.

"Not all victories are worth celebrating, Cami. You'll learn that soon enough." Then neither of us talked for a while and Unadilla was the one to break the silence.

"When I broke him out of the prison, he was not the same man who went in to the poison. He was broken. I couldn't imagine how he could live after what he had been through in there...and ultimately, neither could he."

"Wait…you…"

"Yes Cami. I killed him. In that state, death was a relief. He would've burdened his family with the way he was then"

"He was married?"

"Indeed he was. I left most of that money with his wife. Fortunately, I'm still welcomed at their place when I visit Rome."

I stood in shock, but to tell you the truth, I kinda expected that from someone like Unadilla. She belongs with the Bog-Burglars, after all. I didn't think anyone could break a Roman. A scary thought entered my head with that information; could and would the same thing happen to Heather?

"Heather will get past this. She's stronger than she looks." I told more to myself than to her.

"I think so too. After all, our healer is one of the best there is. If she can't heal her, I don't think anyone can."

"So, a fierce warrior like you fancied a married man, eh?" I half joked, but the blush on her face was definitely worth investigating.

"Oh gods, you really DID have a crush on a married man!" I taunted while doing my best to not laugh at her. Eventually, my lungs need air so I had to chortle.

"CAMI, THAT'S ENOUGH!" I laughed even harder at that. I couldn't stay respectful at the unveiling of this new information. "Besides, he was not married when I knew him and his wife is also a fellow bog." She said while crossing her arms over her chest and looking away. Such a gestured didn't fit a middle-aged woman who lost to no one in combat except my mum.

"Enough talking, now scrub my back. I don't want any part of me smelling of rotting flesh."

With that, she threw a sea sponge to me which I caught easily. A few hours later, we stood satisfied with the cleanliness of our bodies. After wiping ourselves dry, we walked back to our houses, hungry from the labor of the previous night's work. Unadilla went to the hall to get her breakfast/lunch. As I haven't eaten a full meal since I left Dragon Island, I walked as fast as I could. Someone moved the bundle of weapons and armour belonging to the Freespirits to the door step.

Looks like Mum had come by. No one here dared to move something that does not belong to them without permission, especially since it lay in my mum's house. I don't think anyone is bold enough. Then again, people may find that rule rather odd for a tribe made from burglars. Well, it only applies to people living here; we can have our merry way with others.

I finished the bread and the roasted yak chops that mum left me in record time. After I finished, I wanted to lie down for a few hours before answering the questions that the village have. I may also need to pay the forge a visit and see how well Hiccup worked with Footprint's saddle. Speaking of Hiccup, I haven't seen much of him since he left with Heather. Admittedly, I've had no time to see him either, not even in the hot springs. That thought made me blush. What if he got bold one day and decided to peek?

What am I thinking? He would never do that. Besides, even if he somehow managed to come to the springs in the middle of my bath, he would run away screaming just to rinse his eyes out. That damn boyish charm of his, he's too cute for this sinful world.

After my meal, I went to my room to get some sleep.

* * *

 _Healer's hut…_

 **Heather POV**

"Healer, the fever is not breaking!"

"Keep trying! I can't give her anything stronger for the fever without killing her!"

I could appreciate their concern for my well-being but they really could tone it down, so I spoke up to request that of them.

"I would appreciate it if you could lower your voices a little bit. I'm not that well you know." I told them while opening my eyes. I thought I could speak normally but it seems that my body still needs work. My words came out in a barely audible whisper.

"Impossible! This can't be happening!" The healer yelled, losing her composure.

"Healer, how can she be conscious with wounds like this? I-" the trainee healer was babbling in shock and the healer soon cut her off.

"Never mind the mind the risk, give me some poppy" Healer told her apprentice. I had grown up with the healer of my old tribe and because of that, I had treated plenty of patients. So I knew what they planned to give me.

"Healer, I am fine as I am. Patch me up the best you could patch me. The sooner I can leave this place, the better I'll feel." I told them, shocking them.

"That is out of the question, Heather. It is up to me to decide when you can leave and from the looks of things, it seems that you might have to stay longer than I first thought. I honestly didn't think you would make it but now that you're a few steps of away from Hel's door, I can do more for you than I thought."

As much as I needed to leave, the healer made sense. My body needed to recover if I want to destroy those primates.

"Very well, do what you must."

In a few minutes, she gave me the familiar concoction of poppy to knock me out. Disregarding how disgusting it felt, I downed it in one. I felt the trainee healer gently laying my head down on the pillow after I was finished with it. However, the soothing darkness of sleep did not welcome me. Granted, I couldn't move, but my mind still worked.

The down side of the drugged state; I had time to play what happened to my family and my people over and over and over again. I'll never forget what they did to us. I'll never forgive them for what they did to us.

They disemboweled my mother, who loved me with her life. They incinerated my father, who held me with such pride and joy. They annihilated my tribe, where I was raised and lived my entire life. Those bastards ruined everything. They made me the last of the Peaceables I belonged to an extinct tribe. The Outcast tribe, The Berserker tribe, Dagur, Alvin, Savage, they made me not only endure their torture; they made every breath I take a curse. I will have to bear this ugly brand and walk as a trophy, a mark of their conquest, until the day I die.

They will regret letting me live. Right now, I'm not the deadliest fighter in the world or the sharpest sword in the shed, but I will become both of those.

Heather, the girl who loved adventure and nature, has died. I am now a weapon. I will train and learn how to kill and I'll write the names of my sainted parents into the chests of every Outcast and Berserker I destroy.

Then I'll destroy Savage, Dagur, and Alvin and put an end to their tribes, just as they have done mine.

The slow whispering between the healer and the trainee garnered my attention.

"This is impossible! How can she be conscious? I can barely wrap my head around her being awake, but being conscious, I have never heard of something like this!" The young healer shouted in a whisper.

"Nor have I. In all my years, I have never seen anything like this. Even if she is awake and conscious, how can she speak that well? Though weak, she was speaking normally. She should be crying in immense pain."

Well, that shows how much that old lady knows. I already got every tear of these ducts for good. I can feel my whole body throbbing in pain as if it had a mind of its own. How can she possibly think I'm not in pain?

Still, as sick as it sounds, the pain did feel good. It gave me something to remember other than what Dagur and Alvin did to me. It reminds me of their mistake to leave me alive. It reminds me of my mission for vengeance. It makes getting up tomorrow worth it.

"Maybe the immense pain numbed her nervous system. She might not feel anything because of that." The trainee healer told the healer. After a low humming from the healer, she continued on.

"I think that might be it. It's the only explanation that I can come up with. I still don't understand why she is not unconscious and healing rather than being awake. It makes no sense!" After a small pause, the healer continued.

"Change the bandages while she's still sleeping. I need to take another look at that brand on her back. There might be something we can do."

* * *

 _Bertha' house, a few hours later…_

 **Hiccup POV**

I headed to the kitchen soon after waking up to get something to eat. It seems that I might have slept an entire day. My stomach could've roared louder than Toothless, so after satisfying the needy dragons needs; my mind revolved solely around food.

After finishing my dinner, I looked around to see if I could find Bertha or Cami but I found neither of them. Judging by the loud snoring sounds coming from Cami's room, I think she might be asleep.

Well, if she's here, that means that the box with the golden skrill is here. Well, at least I have something to do!

After looking around, well not looking around, more like kicking it hard with the one good foot, I found a rather larger package than I expected to see.

It looked like bunch of stuff tied in a bed cloth or something. After opening it and seeing the armor and those poor neglected weapons, I decided to keep them as they are because frankly, I don't know what to do with them.

"Hey bud, come here. We're heading to the forge." I told Toothless, who seemed a bit moody from missing his evening flight because I overslept about six or seven hours.

I really don't mind sleeping; waking up forces those horrible memories to return to my mind. After divulging the contents of this box, I'm gonna start working on a weapon. I intend to work extra hard on training with Cami tomorrow so that I can defend myself soon. That way, maybe one day…

I'll become less of a burden to my friends and my tribe.

After entering the forge, I got to work with opening the locked chest. I like to think that I'm good at smiting for the lack of other things I'm better at. I've got to give the guy (or girl) who made this box credit; this thing's pretty tough! The lock and the hinges don't have a play and a box made of metal lay underneath the outer shell.

I supposed we're back to the basics. I always wondered why Gobber insisted on teaching me lock-picking, but now I know why.

While my hands flirted with the lock, my mind concentrated elsewhere. I didn't expect what happened last night between me and Bertha. I always viewed Bertha as a big, intimidating looking woman. Never once did I think she could show maternal kindness. Gobber, who I view as a second father, never gave me that some level of kindness Bertha gave me. Granted, I often viewed Gobber's kindness as annoyance, but everyone shows kindness in their own way.

When I blurted out "mum" to Bertha, I thought she would've tanned my hide. I called the toughest woman in the archipelago my mother, for crying out loud! To my surprise, not only did she let it slide…

She even called me son.

She basically adopted me. I really liked the thought of having a mother. I never really got to know my real mother. I did know her during my childhood years, but now, I can't even remember her face. Oddly enough, with all the painting of chiefs and their wives, I never saw a picture of my mom and dad in the great hall. I also saw paintings of all of the Hooligan tribe heirs as well, all except me. Well, now the next heir won't ever see my picture.

I'm never going back to Berk.

Why did I really want to stay away from Berk, besides the obvious? That rock has caused me so much pain, for one. The bog has made me feel more at home in one month than I did my whole life over there.

Somewhere deep down in my heart, I know that no matter how much I loved my father and Gobber, I didn't want to endanger them or Toothless. I have to do my best to keep them away from each other, and from someone like Dagur.

Either way it goes, I can't go back to Berk.

No one could ever take my mother's place, but Bertha seems to be walking her way up to someplace close.

Honestly, I don't mind it one bit.

For me, a boy who's had to face ridicule time and time again in an attempt to feel loved and accepted, having a positive female influence in my life didn't happen every day. Just like sparing any dragon, let alone a Night Fury, didn't happen every day.

The clicking sound of the lock unlocking derailed my train of thought. I first found a few pieces of paper, fine quality paper in fact. I gently pulled the contents of the box out of and laid them on my table. I found two artifacts, a painting of a family and an ornate bracelet. Toothless, who slept in a corner, ignoring my work until now, poked his head through the window.

"What you think, bud? Should we read it?" He shrugged draconically.

"It's not like anyone's going to come after me. Besides, it's already open."

With that, I unfolded the letter and read it. What I read fried my brain.

 _Congratulations Meridius,_

 _I can't put on these papers how happy I am for you and Achilliea. I received the news this morning and I had to wait till night to write this letter. I'll get to the reason soon. I can only send something that the carrier pigeon can carry. It pains me to send something like a parchment this small to my best friend's wedding but as you may know by now life is full of disappointments._

 _I'm glad that you took my word for it and married Achilliea. Seeing that you followed my words, I don't think I need to tell you this, but I'll say it anyway. You shouldn't worry about social ranking and, forgive me for saying this, how many men that the mother had slept with. I know that you love that gladiator, flaws and all. I would never think that you would go for that blood-coated amazon. I mean, she gutted the others like fish._

 _Then again, I always thought that your mother dropped you on your head._

 _I have a gift for you; a place to live your life peacefully. A place where you can love each other out in the open rather than behind closed doors. A new tribe made of runaways like you who seek a new life. They accept anyone and everyone willing to join them. I have pulled some favors and now you have a home. Before you write me a foot long letter saying that "This is too much" and maybe threatening me by setting your wife on me, I'll say right now that there's no need for that. I just want my best friend to have the one thing I desired the most, but can never have._

 _Now I can tell you why this letter is so late. Lil gave birth to a daughter this morning. Dagur seemed to have bonded with her at first sight. She's got a real strong voice. I never thought I'd be this happy and sad at the same time. I probably wouldn't be writing this letter if not for the fucking council of elders._

 _I heard them saying that a chief should never have a girl and that weakens the tribe. What I wouldn't give to shove a spear right up their asses! Those assholes have more daughters than sons, yet they want to take my only daughter away from me, the hypocrites. To make the matters worse, Lil's health continues to deteriorate. She could barely feed my daughter, but she insisted. She knows that she may not see her grow up. She's accepted so gracefully that I don't know whether to cry or jump from a cliff. If I show that I care deeply for my wife, which I do, they'll think I'm too soft to rule the Berserkers and that will be the end of my family._

 _So, can you help an old friend one last time? I humbly ask you for your help. While going to the isle of the Peaceables, please make a detour for the far side of the island so I can give you my baby daughter for your care. Raise her as your own. I'm sorry, but Achilliea, being an ex-gladiator, can never have a child. Tell her that Oswald the Agreeable would beg on his knees if you could not convince her. Even though we haven't named her yet, I'd like you to call her 'Heather'. Lil told me that if we get a daughter, she wants her to be named after Lil's mother. Can you do that for my child, for Lilly?_

 _For the safety of you and my daughter, this will be the last letter you'll receive from me. Send me a pigeon about the date that you will come to our land and one after you land here. I will bribe someone to steal my child and deliver her to you. Keep her safe and tie up any loose ends. I only want my child's completely and utter safety. I think it's best if she never knew of her true family, but if you ever decide to spare a small part of that child's mind to this weak chief, I will enclose a letter with her so that someday I can speak directly to her. This pigeon can't carry anything more._

 _I wish you two a blessedly wedded life of happiness. Give Achilliea my love and tell her that I told her she is a lucky one to have you (You know I still pity you when you get her riled up!). One more thing, the Peaceables are not used to Romans and their skirt chasing way with women. if I were you, I would rein it in if you don't want to scare off the locals._

 _Goodbye my friend, until we meet on Odin's table._

 _Oswald the Agreeable of the Berserkers_

I just stared at the letter blankly after reading it. It's a lot to take in actually. Not only does Heather have Berserker blood within her, she and Dagur also share blood! Her father fought as a Roman general and her mother, a gladiator!

That's too much for someone like me to handle, but somehow, now the golden skrill on the chest makes a lot of sense.

"Well, bud, looks like we've opened up quite a barrel of dragon crap." Toothless seemed to take offense in that and in reply, he burped loudly.

"Toothless! You know that's true. Your poo stinks!" With that, I grabbed the papers and tore off for Bertha's house with an offended Toothless running right behind me.

* * *

 _Bertha's home…_

 **Bertha POV**

"I see. That seriously is some interesting news." I told Unadilla while walking her to my house.

"I would like to know what's in that chest though. I wonder what secrets they were hiding." she told me. I thought the same as her. I never thought that the innocent looking couple from the Peaceable tribe had secrets like this under their sleeves.

"I wonder if Heather also is hiding something like that. That would be too much for me." Unadilla told me while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Not likely. I think they were just some Romans looking for a fresh start." I told Unadilla

"Just like most of the people of our tribe."

"Just like Hiccup." We reached my house while talking and Vinnie was waiting at the door for us.

"Thank Gods you're here. These old bags of bones are driving me crazy! " Vinnie exclaimed.

"We're here now. Is Hiccup awake?" I asked her but she shook her head.

"He is awake but I think he is in the forge because the chest and the war horn is missing."

"Well, let's get this started then."

With that, we went in through the door. Cami tried her best to calm down the elders, but it looks like they had all run out of patience.

"All right, can we please get this started?" I asked in a loud voice, cutting off the loud buzzing of the elder council.

"Now chief, we need to know what happened there. As the elder council, we need to know the reasons." The eldest of the elders asked. I went to speak, but Cami intercepted me.

"Forgive me for telling this elder council, we'd rather not discuss the details. We'll just say that the village had been burned to the ground and the streets were littered with corpses of naked women and children." Then Cami paused for a second and exchanged a look with Unadilla that spoke volumes before continuing.

"I don't even want to discuss what it was in Heather's house. Such atrocities can never be spoken of more than once. So if you have to ask anything other than that, we're all ears"

After a quick discussion among them in hushed voices, they turned back to us, ready to speak when the doors burst open.

"Stop, you can't chase me into here!" Hiccup yelled enthusiastically, before he and his dragon, Toothless, appeared before in the middle of the floor.

"Oh…hi, everyone…" he said sheepishly to the flabbergasted gathering. I heard Cami muttering something like 'Muttonhead' under her breath. "So, um…what's going on?"

"Well, we were going to talk about the chest and the horn but SOMEONE decided to take it!" Cami told him with mock anger. As her mother, I know she is faking it. Hiccup on the other hand…

"Well…I thought as the assistant…erm…smith in training, it would be nice to know what's in the box so I opened it. No need to thank me, it was hard, but I did it anyway." He told us. It took every ounce of willpower not to laugh as if I had lost 30 years.

"You do realize that even a five-year-old bog burglar can pick that lock in five seconds?" His face fell and Cami burst out laughing.

"Come on, Hic, you know it's hard to be mad at you." Cami giggled, pinching his cheek affectionately.

"Sure, have a laugh at my expense. At any rate, I think your mum better look at these." He told Cami and I decided to pip in.

"What should I look at, son?" I asked Hiccup. I intentionally called him son so that he knows that what happened last night was not something random. Hiccup just watched me with an open mouth.

"What? You are officially part of my family. Now what should I see?" He blushed happily and handed me the chest and after opening it the box I found two letters, a painting and a fine bracelet.

"Maybe you should read the one with the seal opened. It will be rude to open the other one if it is what I think it is" Hiccup told us. I quickly went through the letter and when I finished, I needed two huge blocks of ice and some pretty strong mead.

"Well, what's in the box, Bertha?" asked the eldest elder.

"That letter is to Heather's father, Aconite, from one of his friends, to put it lightly. I think the un-open one is from Heather's other father, her birth father."

Everyone but Hiccup gasped.

"Does it say who he is? Maybe he can help Heather?" Vinnie asked thoughtfully.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Vinnie." I spoke, shaking my head.

"Why would that be?" she asked, looking a bit puzzled. I opened my mouth to speak, but Hiccup beat me to it.

"His name is Oswald the Agreeable, chief of the Berserker Tribe."

* * *

 **Well after a long time... In my defence I was a bit busy with a little something called 'life'. its nothing much but something that I must do. Anyway here's a new chapter for you guys. hope you enjoy it. Review what you think about it.**

 **I almost forgot, huge credit goes to my beta reader** _ **MODdenial**_ **for making this chapter readable. Without him this would be a pile of dragon poop. Again don't hesitate to tell what you think. it helps me improve the story you know.**


	20. Riders of Bog

_Bog Island, next morning, near the smithy…_

 **Healer POV**

Though the sun had yet to rise over the horizon, I stood wide awake, though nowhere near as awake as my mind.

I have yet to get any decent sleep since leaving for the late Peaceable tribe a few days back. However, long trips from home never stumped me, or should I say flights from now on? At any rate, I've worked as the healer for the Bog Burglars for somewhere in between 2 and 3 decades. So then, why do I stand outside my hut when I have a patient who needs my help?

To sum it up, her behaviour has, for lack of better term, stupefied me.

The injuries that she suffered at the hands of those savage Outcasts and subhuman Berserkers should have rendered her unconscious for at least a few months, if not sent her off to dine at Odin's table.

The behaviour of her injuries also has me stupefied. When we found her, she lay inside a tub of salt-water soaked in her blood. That would only keep her from dying an instantaneous death but…that practically opened the door for an infection settle in. If a god or goddess of good fortune exists, she must have made them extremely happy for her not to have died from an infection.

Still, how in Odin's blind eye can her wounds heal at such an insane rate? Some of those wounds had eaten a bit at the bone when we retrieved her from her former home. I went through a painstaking amount of stitching so that the blood could flow around her body normally. Granted, I like to think that no one in the archipelago can do this better than me, but when I changed the bandages on the wounds after knocking Heather out, I could only stare in a shock at what I saw.

Her wounds looked a few weeks old rather than a few days old. Stupefying indeed. I don't think she's received any other treatment from the horrors those criminals showed her other than…

Dragon saliva.

Thus, I made my way to the forge to see our resident dragon expert. I can't begin to tell you how it early in the morning I went to see him; the chickens hadn't even woken up yet! I learned the hard way that a healer should never treat someone without knowing what meditation that they may have had before. Without knowing what dragon saliva can really do, I can't treat her with a clear conscience.

For the sake of questioning, I hope Hiccup had pulled an all-nighter. When Vinnie came after the meeting at Bertha's hut to inform me about the recent developments, while she talked to me, I saw Cami literally dragging Hiccup off to the forge with her dragon so he could make a saddle for her. I envy that kid sometimes. He seems to find joy in small places though his life had rough patches by the wagon. Though, I can't deny that one way or another, Cami will end up completing him or ending him.

She just might do both.

Once near the forge, I saw some lanterns still lit and the chimney smoking merrily. I also saw the two dragons playing some sort of draconic form of tag. When I walked closer, the dragons drifted their attention to me. Seeing Toothless bouncing towards me, I could see what that little midnight coloured devil (a term I now use endearingly) had planned for me.

"Toothless, NO!" I yelled sternly. Toothless halted his assault and gave me his famous innocent pout.

"No, Toothless! I'm here to see Hiccup. You and Footprint go back to playing or whatever it was that you were doing." I dismissed. I've had kids and grandkids that looked at me with those eyes. I've developed an immunity of sorts to them. What could render grown men to trembling stacks of butter, I've conquered! After a few more seconds, the dragon retreated back to Footprint and they resumed their game.

"Hello, Healer. What brings you here this early?" Cami asked while poking her head out.

"I could ask you the same thing, Cami dear. What's a girl like you doing at this hour in the forge with a boy?" I asked, leaning away from the serious side for a bit.

"Making sure this idiot is actually making Footprint a saddle, nothing else." Cami proclaimed loudly, dragging the word 'idiot' more so than the others.

"HEY! I heard that!" Hiccup shouted from the inside.

"You were supposed to, IDIOT! You were tying leather cords to your so-called flight suit when I came back from the outhouse!" Cami yelled, back going in to the forge. I followed her inside with both dragons coming closer to the forge behind me.

"I was adding extra tether to the flight suit. It's supposed to support me when I'm flying at high speeds! I would think it were pretty important!" Hiccup told her while gesturing animatedly with his hands.

"What you were supposed to be doing is making Footprint a saddle!" Cami yelled back. No hate existed in the bickering, if the smiles on their faces were any indication, but if they kept this up, most of the village would wake up early and heading back to my hut would cause quite the headache.

"Enough! You can go at each other on your own time." I told them and they stopped yelling at each other and turned towards me.

"I have something important to ask you, Hiccup. This might be what determines whether Heather lives or dies." The joy on Hiccup's face vanished on an instance.

"Healer, how's she doing? I was going to visit her last night but Cami made me make a saddle for Footprint…" Hiccup told me with genuine remorse. Could anyone blame him? Cami has a knack for getting her way one way or another. Last night, even Vinnie left as soon as she delivered the news because we were changing the salves on the brand on her back.

"I will have a word with you later!" Cami told him. She was definitely irritated because he used her as an excuse, except it was more of a valid reason than an excuse.

"It was good that you didn't come last night. I would have shooed you away anyway. She is doing well, rather too well, which brings us to why I am here."

"That's great, Healer!" Cami cried out loud in joy.

"Yeah! I knew she'd pull through." Hiccup fist-pumped.

"Certainly, it is good news but she is healing in a way I have never seen before, and the only other treatment she's had beside mine and those barbarians is the saliva from your Night Fury, Hiccup." I told them and waited for Hiccup to catch on.

"That's great! I knew it will work!" he yelled in joy.

"Yes, but the question is how did you know it would work?" I asked him.

"Well, I don't like looking back into the past, but after Astrid and Snotlout beat me within an inch of my life, I ended up with a cavalcade of bruises. I grew well enough to limp to the cove where I hid Toothless and when he saw me, he licked me all over. I questioned it at first, but soon after he stopped, I found that all my bruises had vanished. Based on that, I thought that the saliva would help her. He always licked whatever wounds he received from our crashes during our flights. "

Well, that explained a big part of Hiccup's recovery from those Odin-damned fools. Still, I couldn't figure out how he could've known that the saliva works once its mixed with blood. It seemed like he used the saliva as some sort of ointment the first time around.

"Well, if that's the case, you are a fool! Maybe the saliva could've acted as a poison once inside the blood and yet, you proceeded to have Toothless lick her all over. It could have killed her and that would have been on your head!"

Cami glared at me, as if to tell me to watch my words, but I didn't fear her. Sure, maybe I went overboard that time but I didn't plan on leaving without more answers. I didn't expect him to start blushing and scratching the back of his head.

"Ermm…Healer...trust me, I wouldn't have had Toothless lick her if I didn't think it would save her." He told obviously guilty and embarrassed.

"So…you knew it wasn't poisonous?"

"Yes…?"

"How?"

"…" Hiccup replied, stretching his collar and looking quite uncomfortable.

"Well, well, well…little Hiccup's got a secret. Lucky for you, Healer, no one can keep a secret from Ze Great Camicazi, not even little Hiccup here!" Cami joined in. Honestly, I think Cami is more interested in embarrassing him rather than finding out more about the healing properties of dragon saliva.

"Fine, I'll talk!" he yelled turning red with embarrassment. "Astrid and Snotlout hit me a lot of times in the face. We're Vikings; it's part of what we do…so Toothless concentrated most of his licking there and…I might have downed some while trying to tell him to stop." Cami's face twitched when he mentioned two of the teens from Berk, and what they did, but other than that, she had laughed at the whole thing.

"Well…what did it heal?" I might as well be Hiccup's mother with how uncomfortable he's feeling right now.

"This conversation is growing extremely uncomfortable."

"What did it heal, dragon boy?" Cami asked, unable to keep the face-splitting grin off of her face. He groaned loudly in acquiescence.

"IT HEALED WHAT MAKES ME A MAN, ALRIGHT?! NOW THAT YOU'VE SUCCESSFULLY HUMILIATED ME IN FRONT OF CAMI, THIS TALK IS OVER, HEALER!"

Shouting aside, I knew then why Hiccup said that the Night Fury saliva wasn't poisonous. Though, I'd rather not hear how he came to know that the damage done to his loins was healed. I'd rather not indulge in the fantasies of a teenage boy. If Night Fury saliva can heal a boy's bruises, as well as what makes him a boy, then it should provide for great use externally. I don't think it will react with my medicine that way, though.

"How did you find out that it still works-" Cami started before a blush, that Hiccup missed, spread over her face. "You were yanking it, weren't you? Dirty little Hiccup decided to explore his body a bit, hmm?" Cami taunted Hiccup with a sultry tone. Hiccup seemed to be wishing that it would be better if the floor cracked open and swallowed him whole than face Cami.

"I did not! It was a drea…" He didn't finish the word, but he didn't need to. Embarrassed beyond belief, he covered his mouth with both hands and ran to Toothless.

"You were having a wet dream! Who was it about? Astrid and Hiccup sitting…" Cami ran off after him. Knowing Cami, she won't let the poor boy live it down for a long time. As soon as they left, though, the Sage came in to the forge.

"Ah! Good morning to you, Healer!"

"Good morning to you too, Sage." I greeted him while leaving the forge.

"Well, how's Heather doing? I heard she might not make it through…" he asked. Looking back with a small smile I replied.

"Don't worry, Sage. I have a feeling that physically, she'll make it. I'm worried about how she'll manage up here." I said, pointing to my head. After seeing him nod, I walked back to my hut to check on how Heather was doing.

* * *

 _Bog Island, near the training grounds._

 **Lidiya POV**

Even though the dragons came here to our small island a few days before, no one has trained or even gone close to becoming somewhat friendly with them. Now, why, if Hiccup went to the trouble of bringing them here, why has no one made an effort to get to know them better?

Simple, no one is foolish enough to do so. If we wanted to train them, Hiccup demanded that we do not harm any of the dragons so the only way we know how to handle dragons went out through the window.

"Finally! I thought you people were never going to show up!" I told the gang as they came into view.

"Well, I don't know about you but, to normal people like us, the day has barely begun." Ysolda told me while rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

So it's like this: we discussed that after Hiccup came back from the island of the Peaceable tribe, we should get him to teach us to train dragons. However, after seeing the bundle of wrapped furs dripping blood all the way to the Healer's hut, we decided that we had better give him another day to calm down and get back to his old self. Besides, I overheard mum saying yesterday that Hiccup was sleeping soundly even though it was noon.

"So…any ideas on how to get those two to come here?" Anwen asked and everyone looked at me.

"Why are you lot looking at me?" I asked, only to receive eye rolls from all around.

"Well, you seem to have a thing for that Night Fury rider and the rest of us is smart enough not to pursue those thoughts even though we might have them…" Anwen told while giving her signature "I-know-what-you-are-doing-but-I-don't-like-it" look while the others chuckled.

"Well, it's not my fault that the young 'chieftess' can't put what she got in her hand into her mouth" I told them while grinning at the second meaning of it.

"Anyway, I think we better find them, come on Lids; I'll go with you." Luna told me and we started to head towards the forge. It has become common knowledge that though Hiccup lived at Bertha's house, you could almost always find him in the forge. When we were about halfway there, I spotted Hiccup running fast towards us and Cami hot on his heel.

"Two silver pieces, I say Hiccup can't reach us." Luna placed her bet.

"You're on!"

Soon I was two silver pieces richer than I woke up.

"Cough up." I told her while placing my open palm in front of her to receive my loot.

"Good morning to you, Hiccup. You're just the person I wanted to meet." I greeted him while he shamelessly hid behind us.

"Good morning…I'll give you…anything…if you save…me from her!" He told us while trying to catch some air.

"I seemed to have woken up on the lucky side of the bed today." I told Luna while she was trying to hold her composure.

"Hey ladies! Good morning. Why are you up this early?" Cami asked me after she stopped in front of us.

"Well, saving this 'knight in distress' of course" I told her.

Her reaction came too quickly. The joking and laughing Cami turned into the battle-ready heir of the Bog Burglars in a blink of an eye. I saw her hand crawl into the handle of one of her swords. Even Luna tensed up a bit.

"Well, I don't see any 'knights' who need 'saving' around here. Do you see anyone, Hiccup?" She asked Hiccup clearly with a deadly edge to her voice.

"Erm…No…?"

"See, no one to save. Now then, why are you awake this early?" She asked. This was a good opportunity to egg her on but, knowing her, I'd probably end up going home in pieces. So, I decided to let it go, for now.

"We were on our way the forge to find Hiccup when we saw him running towards us." Luna answered the question before me.

"So, as I clearly saved you from the wrath of this mean lady, I think you better hold on to your part of the deal." I told Hiccup who was still a few feet behind us.

"What?" He asked, clearly puzzled about what I was talking about. I saw sparks flying out of Cami's ears and I know that I couldn't do anything crazy to Hiccup. Still, putting these seeds of doubt in Cami's head practically screamed fun.

"You said if we save you from Cami you would give us anything. So, I need a dragon." I stated while sending a meaningful glance towards Cami who, at this point, had steam pouring out of her ears.

"Oi! We all need dragons!" Luna punched my arm playfully.

"Oh! I forgot about the dragon training…well, the dragon friendly version." He told us and started walking towards the forge.

"Where're you going? Aren't you going to teach us?" I asked him, starting to get annoyed because he was walking away without a word.

"Well, I need my dragon first. I'm going to get that traitor from the forge." He said while walking towards the forge. Why he called Toothless a traitor, I had no clue. They two seem to get on well together more like siblings than a pet and a master.

"What was that about?" Luna whispered to Cami, who for some reason had dropped the poker face and started grinning.

"He ran towards Toothless so he could get away from me but Toothless pretended to nap till I was closer, he had to make a run for it." Cami told us while covering her mouth to suppress her huge grin.

"That right there is a traitor. I tell you at this rate he will gladly drop me to Cami's lap if he was offered a basket of fish!" Hiccup told while animatedly smashing his hands together.

"I say he's a smart dragon. He knows well enough to pick the winning side." Cami stated making us laugh out loud. Even Hiccup joined in after a few seconds.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, Outcast Island, shorelines…_

 **Eret, son of Eret POV**

"Are you sure this is the place, Mal?" I asked my right-hand man.

"There is no other island like this filth in the entire archipelago." He answered, wrinkling his bold forehead.

"Well then, we're on the right track. We dock here for a few hours and then we're off to the nest of this archipelago." I told Malawama. He was a slave once and, to speak the truth, he still is. See, my form of slavery, most would call well-paid servanthood. He would gladly give his life for me.

"The trappers are getting suspicious to why we came here, master Eret. You choose too well while putting them together." He was right. This crew is the smartest crew of trappers under this maniac but I have met people who are even worse.

"Let's not worry too much about it. They still remember what happened the last time we failed a delivery. They won't think this any further than something a desperate man would do." I told him wisely. He just shook his head and walked away.

The reason we came to this miserable hunk of rock in the first place is to capture the quota of dragons for the dragon army for these four moon cycles. Every man knows what happens to us if we fail. We had to sail further because of that bloody ice spitting dragon and storm cutter rider freeing the trapped dragons and destroying our traps.

Well, that's what most of my crew thinks. I, on the other hand, have something else on my mind. You see, in times like these it's hard to live with one job and one master. Therefore, being the brilliant son of Eret I am, I serve two...I'm here to find out what bloody exotic dragon is the alpha of this nest. Well, it's not that hard; just a quick peek inside the nest is all I need. I walked down the deck to the plank to find my crew swarmed by outcast women.

Frankly, I hate them. Banished from their tribes; either they are whores or daughters of whores. I've seen men's junk fall off a few weeks after sleeping with one. That's something I won't like happening.

"Hurry up, lads! We haven't got all night. Do I have to remind you what happened the last time we failed to deliver?" I asked.

"No, 'twas quite unpleasant. I'd rather not have that happen again." Said Victor.

"Go on, lads. Remember; we're on the clock." I told them and they scattered very quickly. "I'm sure you fine ladies can find some other men around here." I told them and was about to turn away when they called out to me.

"Now, we can't let a fine young lad like you walk away 'unattended.' Especially after you claimed us over your crew." One of the ladies told me.

"My, my. I do like a girl with fire. Sadly honey, I like a lad better than a lass." I saw them walk away, insulting me loudly but hey, it works.

 _A few hours later…_

Me and my men decided to dine at a small tavern when a smelly old man with a sheep sat next to me. He caught my attention because of his unbearable smell. I have a strong nose and being a sailor I know exactly how bad can a man smell but this-! This reached new heights in unsanitary levels.

"Mind where you keep that sheep, smelly old man!" I told him as he dropped the sheep on the table.

"Ya ungrateful young man, can't ya see that I'm an elder? It's your duty to tend to us! Now fetch ma' a strong mead." He ordered me. Well, it's a good thing I just got here. If I was here for a few hours, he would be dead by now and my crew will eat lamb on the first week on ocean.

"I can clearly see that you are an elder. By that rot, I don't think you need mead, old man. A coffin would be better for everyone around you." With that, he tried to attack me with his walking staff. It would have been a good one too only if he was a few decades younger.

"Why ya' lil'…I'm the oldest man on this archipelago! I know things that will make you soil your breaches faster than you could blink!" He bragged while trembling in rage.

"Like what, old man? The vast number of ladies that left you?" I fought back and felt a smug grin creep up to my face when hurt flashed through his eyes. My men started laughing.

"Ya impudent little rascal. I know how to get to Dragon Island through Helheim's gate. Have ya ever heard of tha'? Didn't ya' mummy told ya'? That's where your pa went to be dragon snack."

Mal, along with the rest of the crew, was just about to send that cranky old goat to Valhalla when I stopped them.

"Really, you old goat? You think that we're that dumb? We have sailed to places you have never even dreamed and let me tell you there's no way that a small group of smelly old goons going to Dragon Island." I told him and I can see smoke coming out of his ears as I continued to speak. Good, I was hoping that the angrier this man grew, the more beans he'd spill.

"I know, you fool! I know Stoick's runt found a way to go there from Thor knows how and serves him right. He got killed by the dragons and then Stoick goes there and claims that 'Hiccup' killed the dragons on the nest. You think I don't know where the nest is?! I bet my bag of gems that he found the nest and died! Stoick is too proud to accept his little embarrassment!"

I would have told something to shut that old goat for good, but this piece of information is too vital and disturbing at the same time to waste my time here arguing with a smelly old man.

"Men! We leave in one hour. Gather the supplies on the double!" I yelled to the men. They just started to stare at me as if I had grown two heads.

"OI! Hurry up, the supplies aren't going to let themselves in to the boat!" I yelled.

"But cap, we need at least a few hours more to restock" Said the quartermaster.

"Fine, just get enough supplies for a few weeks. Now HURRY UP!"

"Why the sudden haste, master Eret?" Malawama asked me.

"It seems that the old fool wasn't full of hot air. If someone found a way to the nest, there will be more and soon the nest would shift to another place if they lose too many dragons."

"What about the other delivery?" He asked in a low tone.

"I hope it is well because Riker don't like bad news and I fear him more than that 'maniac…'"

* * *

 _Meanwhile, Bog burglar island, Training Grounds_

 **Camacazi POV**

"So now that you have your dragon, why don't you start training my friends how to ride dragons?" I told Hiccup after we awkwardly waited for a few minutes.

"Erm…well, where should I begin? " He asked me.

"Why are you asking me? You are the one who train dragons, dummy." I told him and slapped the back of his head lightly.

"What is it with you and violence? Anyway, I think the first thing to do is get rid of all the weapons you have" He told the gathering.

"By that, he means even the ones you have hidden on your clothes." I told the gang and they started to unload the concealed weapons to the weapons tables. After they were done, I turned to Hiccup and found him slack jawed and eyes wide with disbelief.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nope, nothing, just adding a mental reminder to steer clear of the crazy Bogs in the future." he told us while rubbing back of his neck. I had to giggle at his face.

"Well, that might be a bit hard because you live in the island of Bog. Enough of that, what's next?" He thought for a few seconds before answering the question.

"Well, first of all, dragon training begins and ends with trust. Your dragon must be able to trust you enough to put their life in your hand and vice versa." He told and all of them nodded at that.

"Before I tell Toothless to call the dragons, I need all of you to promise me something. You all must promise not to act hostile against the dragons. They were living in a world where Vikings killed them on sight. So, they may be a bit skeptical for some time." He told us and all of them exchanged looks. In the end, Lidiya voiced their thoughts. I really hate her, but in a "I-want-to-protect-my-boyfriend-from-her" sort of a way.

"Well, if we are defenseless, how are we supposed to defend ourselves if they attack us?" She asked him.

"Well, that will be the "trusting your dragon with your life" part. Me and Cami are here if things start to go south anyway." He looked at them for a few seconds apparently thinking and then went to Toothless.

"Well that's a relief. Most things he does do go south." Ysolda told the ladies. Hiccup was far enough to not hear it, but I was not.

"Guys, cut the boy some slack. I think this is the first time in his life someone's actually listening to him. He may be nervous but you can't understand how important this is making him feel. Even if you guys get a few scratches, trust me, it's nothing close to the joy of riding a dragon."

They started to nod and Anwen was about to tell us something when the loud screech of a Night Fury cut us off. Within a few minutes, the entire flock of dragons, if not more, that flew from the Dragon Island, came to the training ground and covered the ground leaving a small space on the middle where we were.

"Now, when you find a dragon that you feel a connection with or that you fancy, walk next to him or her and move your hand like this." With that, he placed his hand on the dragon's snout while looking away. Then Toothless pressed his snout to his palm and all the dragons and women alike were looking at this with wide eyes.

"Well, call me skeptical but, I don't find putting my hand near a three-hundred-pound fire breathing reptile appealing." Luna told him. Frankly, from their view, that really is not something outrageous. Before Hiccup lost the little confidence that he had, I decided to interfere.

"I didn't think it were true, but it seems I was wrong. Who knew cowards were born on the Bog Islands?" I told them.

"Well, what now?" asked Lidiya.

"Do what I told you and hope you come out in one piece?" He replied.

"Well, that fills me to the brim with confidence." Lidiya deadpanned before she walked towards the dragons.

* * *

 _Near Bog Islands, evening…_

 **Hiccup POV**

Despite how my life has been growing up, I've had many good days. I've also had some great days. Then I had days where nothing, absolutely nothing, that could have gone wrong, actually went wrong.

Those days, I called my best days and today happened to fall into that category.

Cami's group of gals have all managed to befriend dragons. Currently, all of us are just hanging out on a small uninhabited island near the mail island of the Bog. At this time of the day, Toothless usually takes his evening siesta. Cami lazily rubbed Footprint on just the right spots, rendering him a drooling puddle of mush.

However, the others had different bonding times than the near death experiences me and Cami had with our dragons.

Lidiya had bonded with a blue and yellow Nadder that she hasn't named yet. Of everyone here besides me and Cami, Lidiya seems to have gained a good deal of the dragon's trust and affection.

Luna had bonded with an albino monstrous nightmare. In truth, no other dragon found her red eyes trust-worthy enough to approach her. Only Máni, as Luna named her, was brave enough to approach her. They too were bonded well but neither of them enjoyed the sun for some reason and they were chilling in the shade of a tree.

Ysolda also bonded with a Monstrous Nightmare, a rather common red-brown colored one and was doing fine for now. She named her Pony; Cami explained to me that they are a breed of small horses and were rather cute. In the end, I got to tease Cami. Though not by much considering she fired back with how Toothless healed my manly bit. Pony didn't trust Ysolda enough to let her ride yet but that would be hoping for too much; it's only been the first day.

Anwen, however, she filled the role of "problem" in our group. She didn't seem too eager to listen to a "little boy." She ended up bonding with a Whispering Death. I, frankly, haven't seen one until today and it appears they absolutely hate sunlight. There's also the fact that their bodies are covered spikes, leaving nowhere for her to sit and they can also tunnel through the ground in addition to their given ability to fly. She's quickly reminding me of Snotlout, though compared to that troll, she's practically an angel. One more thing to add; her dragon also has some reservations about listening to Toothless.

"For the last time, Anwen, stop rubbing behind Thorn's ear! I'm just about had it with dodging his spikes. One more and I'll sic Footprint on you!" Cami yelled along with Footprint growling having to dodge another spike sent her way. Thorn sure was living up to his name, because he's being quite a thorn in our rears.

"Your 'dragon expert' was the one to suggest it in the first place and I like it because it makes Thorn happy!" She yelled back using air quotes on the dragon expert part.

"First off, I said that as general advice to all of you. Second, I specifically told you to stop after he shot spines for the first time." I told them and when I turned to see Cami, I saw her with literally steam coming out of her ears. Thorn had sent yet another spike at their way.

"Why don't we call it a day and head back? We'll discuss riding gear tomorrow." With that, I left with Toothless and Cami on Toothless' paw. Footprint was just behind us so when he was under us, I dropped her right on Footprint's neck. Cami went to the training arena without a word and I followed.

I still had my training to do.

"Finally! I was just about to head home." Valarie told while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sorry for the delay. We had to deal with a thorn or two. Anyway, let's begin today's training." Cami told her while unmounting Footprint.

"What is there for me to learn?" Valarie asked.

"You just have to run two laps around the ground and get that cloth off the tree before the sun goes from here to here" Cami told while pointing to the sun clock.

"Erm…Cami isn't that a little too hard? I don't think I could be able to finish that in that time." I told her and she just rolled her eyes at that.

"Come on, Hiccup. This is easy. But if you really need prodding, then…you are not leaving here until you get it done."

We both groaned.

 _Bog Island, Training Grounds, few minutes past Magic Hour…_

"Well, come on Hiccup! Put your legs into it!" Cami yelled as I was running towards the tree to grab the flag.

I would have replied, if not for the fact that I was so tired that I could barely walk, let alone run. Val had accomplished the task on her fourth try, I think. She was free to go home as her part of the training was done but she hung around until Cami shooed her away. I came to the conclusion that I might have done something to offend Cami. The training felt more like a punishment rather than training. I think I had tried a million times and Thor must've decided to take pity on me because the flag finally fell.

"Well done, Hiccup! It only took you forty-three tries. I think you might have set a record." Cami told me while clapping delightedly and walking towards me.

"What's the purpose of all this, anyway?" I wheezed out.

"You have to be fit enough to endure long hours of running and this was just the beginning exercises of building your stamina. Here, watch and learn."

She took off at full speed. Seeing that she was at the tree when she started to run, she had to run more that I had to. But somehow, she completed the task even before half of her time was up and she was barely out of breath.

"I knew there was something suspicious about you and that proves it! You are not human!" I told her dramatically smashing my hands together while starting to walk home.

"Well, if you completed my saddle earlier, stopped flirting with Lidiya, or let me sic Footprint on Thorn, I might've given you twice the time to complete the task." She told me jokingly. I could sense a tiny amount of hurt in her voice as well, though…

"When did I ever 'flirt' with Lidiya? And as for the saddle, cut me some slack, will ya? I pulled an all-nighter working on it." I told her. I mounted Toothless and told Toothless to walk home rather than flying to which he reluctantly agreed.

"Anyway, why are you walking? Dragons do fly, OH-great-dragon-trainer" Cami told after she mounted Footprint and was hovering over my head.

"Nooo. Toothless can't fly without me and I'm way too tired to fly him." I told her. The truth was my stump felt like an angry bee sting. I could barely walk without wincing, but I couldn't tell her that. I kept doing the exercise until I succeeded because I need to grow stronger, stronger than I am now, strong enough to protect what's mine.

I won't ever let what happened to the Peaceables happen ever again, especially not to the Bog Burglars!

After heading home, I ate quickly and bid goodnight to both Cami and Bertha. After that, I went to my room and quickly unstrapped my leg. The leg was swollen red and the straps have cut into some of the flesh. Why haven't I grabbed a bowl of water to massage my stump yet?

Well, it's way too late, and I don't plan on sleeping with my prosthetic. With that, I went under the covers to catch some shuteye.

.

.

.

The pain kept me from sleeping. I don't know how long I was awake until I heard a knock on the door.

"Are you awake, Hiccup?" The voice of Cami came through the door. What is she doing at this hour? Doesn't she have to sleep or something?

"I'm up, come in."

"I thought you might need this." She told while coming into the room. She was carrying a bowl and some linens.

"What can I do for you? Not that I don't appreciate your company, but isn't it late?" I asked her, wincing a bit when the sheet rubbed on the tender limb.

"Cut the act, Hiccup. Show me your leg."

WHAT! I can't do that! It's private and I don't like people staring or looking at that!

"I know it's hurting. I was hoping you would take these and attend to it yourself but, seeing that you missed what was right in front of your nose, I think I better do it." Cami told while grabbing a chair with her foot and placing the bowl on it.

"Thank you, Cami! I can do it myself. I owe you one for these." I told her and waited for her to leave which didn't happen.

"Hiccup, you have ten seconds to show me your leg or I'm pulling the covers myself!" Cami told with her annoyed voice.

"It's private, Cami! I don't like people seeing it, ok!" I told her with heat coming to my cheeks.

"Hiccup, I don't know if you know this or not, but I'm the one who dressed your leg while you were out. I'll also remind you that it was in the winter."

"Oh…didn't know that. But still…"

"Shut it, I saw you limping and I know why you didn't fly Toothless. Your leg hurt too badly to fly properly." With that, she yanked back the cover.

"Idiot! If you have told me it was hurting bad, I would have ended the exercise. This looks like it hurt like hell."

"Well, that's a good way to describe it."

"Well, at least try to remember it next time." She told me in a worried voice that I haven't heard coming out of her before. With that, she soaked the linens with warm water, squeezed out the excess and started massaging my leg.

In the time, Cami spent with me back on Berk and ever since I ended up on the Bog Islands thanks to Heather's parents, Thor rest their souls, she quickly occupied the space Astrid once held. I didn't want to see Cami as Astrid's replacement, but I couldn't deny the bubbling in my chest at the sight of Cami taking care of me.

Now, in case you didn't know. Bogs are sort of the Amazons of Vikinghood, they don't bow down to men, nor do they tend to them. It was the other way around. But Cami helping me when I was in pain and knowing I was in pain the first place made my heart all warm and mushy. I don't know how long it took her to finish wrapping my stump but I was grateful to her beyond what could be described with words. When she finished, she gathered to bowl of water and turned to leave with a quick goodbye.

"Cami, Thanks. I don't know what I would do without you." I told her sincerely.

"Well, I do." She giggled. I thought, for a bit, I saw some red on her face. "You're more than welcome, Hiccup. In the future, please tell me before something like this happens. I may be the Bog heir, but that doesn't I don't have people I care deeply for. You being in a high place among them."

With a wink, she left and as I slept, I dreamt of a future where a messy auburn haired man was hand in hand with a stunning young lady with a crow's nest of a blond hair. They had an auburn haired son who rode on his dad's shoulders and a daughter who was smiling and holding the woman's pinkie.

* * *

 **Though it's a bit late "Happy 2017". Secondly I know I'm a shitty writer, haven't updated in months and I'm not even sure if i have any of the readers left. so any way this might be the last update for quite some time, most likely 2-3 months. why? Some heavy weighted modules started and they are like vampires I tell you! they literally drink time. Enough about that.**

 **I will respond to reviews via PM's because the chapters may not come out frequently. So hope you enjoy the goofy chap because what follows goofy chaps are never good.**


	21. The Letter

_The following morning, in the healer's hut…_

 **Heather POV**

I couldn't decide which of the two I hated more; the healer's hut or the healer herself.

For Thor's sake, why would anyone leave their patient with no clothes to wear whenever they woke up? She could have at least provided me a blanket so I wasn't bearing it all to the public. Then again, I never fell unconscious, but I might as well have been to her at the time.

After a few more minutes of trying and failing to stand up, with great effort, I pulled myself into a sitting position and examined my lower body.

I felt repulsed by my own skin.

Anger, disgust, and shame ran through mind when I remember what they did to me. I really started to hate the idea of throwing up because of…never mind.

I saw what those degenerates did to me, and bit my lip in anger, but the damage they did that I couldn't see was far worse. It served as a constant reminder of what they did to me, of what I am. No…what they want me to be…a spoil of war. But that won't be me. That will never be me!

I'LL KILL THEM ALL FOR WHAT THEY DID!

Summoning all the energy I could muster, I just got my feet under me. Then, I groped the walls of the small hut, searching for something, anything, to wear. I saw the healer and her apprentice snoozing in one corner. I may not have been able to move as freely as I would've liked, but I know how hard they worked to heal me.

I may hate the healer a bit but that's only because I hate not being able to move. I know they were up many nights to care for me and for that, I owe her-hell, I owe the entire tribe my life.

Still, they could stand to learn a little modesty.

After gathering some clothes, I went out of the hut with a quick note on the back side of something that looked like a list of herbs. Soon, I was off to the village. I remembered most of the village from the few days that I spent hanging around with Cami. Nothing has changed here, yet everything has changed for me.

Seeing that I need to acquire some serious skills in the decapitation sector, my best bet is to train with Cami. Granted, I knew Cami for only a few weeks but from what I gathered, she was a warrior and a brave one at that. I walked down the path from the hut towards the village center when I spotted a bunch of dragons chasing down the night fury.

You wouldn't believe your eyes, I promise. To tell the truth, I'm not angry that my dad spat it out about Hiccup and the Bogs anymore. I'm still sad that he cracked, but I don't blame him. After all, the sight of his baby girl being tortured would've driven him insane.

Actually, now that I think about, before those heathens butchered my mother, Odin rest her soul, she said that she and my father weren't my blood parents.

Was there no end to my pain and confusion?

I mean, I guess there is a slight, SLIGHT possibility that my mother MIGHT have been a gladiator, having seen the way she used the broom on Dad when he had one too many pints of ale.

But how could my DAD possible have been a ROMAN!?

I could never wrap my head around that. In a brawl or a fight, Dad was the first to leave the area and it was Mom who waited to see the outcome of the fight. I even had a laugh whenever he ran for his life after crossing Mom too many times. I still remember his girly screams…

I swear, Mom and Dad, I'll make them pay. Every last one of them will die!

I might have been so wrapped up in my inner struggles that I failed to realize that a giant Changewing landed right in front of me with Cami riding it.

"HEATHER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE!?" her shriek tore me out of the internal struggle.

"What? I'm not under house arrest or something like that…" I replied to her. Even my voice sounded foreign to me in my own ears.

"You are supposed to be recovering from your injuries! For Thor's sake, come with me to the healer's hut. Just yesterday she told us that your life was hanging on a thread!" She yelled, clearly worried.

I really didn't feel like spending time, that I could use to train, imitating a vegetable, but Cami really sounded frightened for me and the healers are taking good care of me and I wouldn't dare be ungrateful, lest they leave me on my own.

"FINE, let's go back to that boring hut so I can stare at the roof till I die of boredom!" I told her and turned on my heel to head back to the healer's hut.

* * *

 **Camicazi POV**

What in Midgard is happening right now? Am I dreaming or is this reality? Heather, who was a mangled pile of flesh a few days back, is walking again? Not only that, but she left me in a huff!

Oh no, you don't, sister! No one shrugs off "ze great Camicazi," like that! Not even my Hiccup!

…Wait, where did that come from?

"Hey! Wait for me! I'm coming to make sure you get there." I told her and caught up with her with ease.

"Heather, how are you feeling?" I blurred out before I could stop myself from asking the most stupid question I could've asked at that point. She turned around and raised an eyebrow for that question.

"Let me clarify. How are you feeling up here?" I rephrased while pointing to my head. Maybe I didn't have to be as worried about her physical health as the healers, but no Viking emerges from torture without scars of some kind. Heather, obviously, was no exception.

"As a person would feel when she is the last of her tribe. Frankly, I don't know what to feel, except vengeful anger." she told me and I had a feeling that she was debating internally about something so I let her solve it and kept my thoughts to me.

If I was on her shoes, I would have grinded those bastards, one by one, into piles of mangled flesh. I'm sure there are more painful ways, but it was the cruelest way I could think after seeing all those innocent men, women, and children slaughtered like cattle.

Be that as it may, I really don't want to be in her shoes. Everything and everyone I care about…gone. I don't ever want to know how I'd deal with it.

"It's a good thing that I found you. I need to ask you for something?"

"I think I might know what you are about to ask." I told her. At that she stopped walking and looked right to my eyes with a blazing storm of fire burning in her eyes. It made one thing clear, what she is going to make is neither a request nor it was up for debate.

"Would you train me to fight?"

I knew it.

"I will, but not right now. You need to heal first. Do I need to remind you that yesterday you were locked in a death battle with…death?" I told her.

"I'm fine. Besides, if I'm not, how am I walking and arguing with you?"

…That was a good point.

"Either way, I'm not training you until you have the green light from the healers."

She nodded to that rather hesitantly and we continued our walk in silence.

"HEATHER! HEATHER!"

"OVER HERE! SHE'S WITH ME!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Soon the healer and her apprentice were here and they looked like they were about to have a heart attack.

"What in Midgard are you doing outside of my hut Heather? You are in no condition to walk around like this! Your wounds are still fresh and it will be a miracle if they don't get infected while you roam around the village like this!"

Well, this is officially the longest scolding I've seen anyone get from the healer.

"What fresh wounds? Would you be talking about these?" With that, Heather lifted the hem of her tunic revealing her scared belly.

Wait a minute, what the hell? Her wounds have mostly healed!

"This is strange, but I should have expected it…" The healer told to herself while walking closer to Heather.

Before she could reach Heather the hem of the tunic was dropped to the original position.

"Well, if you need to inspect the wounds, it'd be much better not do it out here on the open, don't you think?" She asked the healer while nodding her head towards me.

"Oh fine, but I'll be back at the hut within the hour. Don't do anything funny or I'll have to postpone your training. Don't let her do anything funny." I told the healer, sensing that Heather is not comfortable with the fact that I saw her scars.

I should use this time to do something productive. Like telling mom and Hiccup that Heather was out of the healer's hut.

"Come Footprint, let's find Hiccup." I called Footprint and soon we were off to find Hiccup.

* * *

 _Later that day..._

 **Bertha POV**

Just this morning, Cami had come with Hiccup and told that Heather was awake and was demanding Cami to train her.

Of course, I didn't believe her initially, but after we saw her, I had to concede that my girl wasn't fibbin'. Thus, I needed another ice block. I may be an experienced chief but I'd be dammed if there were delicate cases pop up here and then.

Last time something like this happened was that incident we had with Sage.

After his wife was lost to the seas, the majority of the elder council had demanded that we should ship him off because he had no daughter to look after and without a wife or a daughter, a mere man was just that, a man. It took some rather cunning thinking from my part but it was worth it because he was a mess. He made Stoick seem tame after a dragon had carried off Valka.

Then about a decade and a half later, his son, Hiccup came here half dead with a dragon as a pet.

A dragon, for Thor's sake!

But this, right here, is an entirely different herd of sheep. How am I supposed to tell the little girl that the ones she thought her parents were not her real parents and one of the mongrels responsible for the deaths of her family and tribe, was her own brother?

Odin's beard, that's a messed up family.

I mean, I know for a fact that Valarie's father is the Roman emperor and even she doesn't know that. But compared to the condition Heather is in, that was a small little spat between lovers.

The only good thing is that she made here to Bog; the perfect place for a woman to start a new life.

Speaking of the woman,

"Chieftess Bertha, I don't know how I ever can thank you for what you have done for me." Heather told me. Behind her, Hiccup and Cami were making small conversation, too small for me to hear, anyway.

"It's nothing, dear. Besides, the one you should be thanking is not me. The healer and those two are the ones who deserve your thanks." I told while pointing to Hiccup and Cami, who was behind her.

"I've thanked them already and I know well that owe them my life. Of course, I also owe you, chieftess. I am sorry that I have to bother you more because I have nowhere else to go to."

I could see the battle with her inner demons in her eyes. Those savages took everything away from her; from her innocence to her tribe. I don't want to imagine how those poor Peaceables felt as those heathens…

I swear we won't let that happen to us.

"It's nothing, and as I told you before dear, this is your home now. I know that this may never be as great as the land of the Peaceable tribe, but this can be your home for as long as you want this to be."

She nodded to that. This was a hard decision for me to make indeed, but a chieftess must do what a chieftess must do.

"Cami, if you could bring Heather the things we found-" I told Cami.

"All of it?"

"Yes, all of it and Hiccup go and help her."

Hiccup went with her without any questioning. After they were out of sight, I sat down and gestured Heather to take a seat too. To be fair, I thought it better to tell her while she was seated to reduce the possibility of her fainting and causing more damage to herself than what those murderers did.

"Hiccup and Cami had found some things while they were searching for your clothes. First, I need you to promise me to not to do anything rash." I told her.

"I promise." Heather told me, and in her eyes I felt that she knew to some extent that where I was going with this.

"It would appear that your mother and father were not your birth parents." I told her without much sugar coating. I know from experience that it is better not to sugar-coat something this big.

"I think my mother said something like that. She said it before...they…" Heather trailed off. I could see how pained her eyes were. It must have been one of the final few times she spoke to her mother while she was still alive.

"It's ok, Heather. There were some letters and a few items that belonged to your parents that they were able to carry. They couldn't take much but I think you would like something to remember your folks by."

Heather's eyes were pained, as if she was ready to cry, but no tears came out. All of her tears must have dried up during her torture.

"My parents left me a letter?" she asked in a broken voice.

"Yes they have, I haven't read it though. I thought that it would be good that no one read it before you." I told her as sincerely as I could. "For now, however, I think you had better stay at the healer's hut. After she gives you the clear to move into another hut, we'll find one that should fit you just right." I told her.

Hiccup and Cami came down with the bundle of stuff from the Peaceable tribe.

"This bundle contains all the letters and stuff. I think you should have this. I'll drop the rest off at the healer's hut." Hiccup told her while handing me the box and the horn and continued dragging the heavy bundle out of the door with Cami.

"Dad gave that horn to me when I was about seven, I think…" Heather told me while looking at the horn and the box.

"Well, it's not mine so, here you go." With that, I handed over the box and the horn to Heather.

"Thank you, chieftess." She told me and turned to leave.

"Heather…" I called, getting her attention once more. She turned back with a raised, albeit narrowed, eyebrow.

"Just…remember the promise you made to me."

With a curt nod, she left.

* * *

 _Time Skip-Berk, a few days later, midday at the Great Hall…_

 **Fishlegs POV**

We arrived home to Berk last night. I'm glad we arrived under the cover of night because what we saw when we sailed by the Peaceables would've sent Berk into a frenzy. Of course we had to tell Stoick, and when he heard about the Peaceable Tribe's annihilation, he drafted letters for a great gathering of chieftains.

Seeing that we have just arrived from our journey and that most of the communications between tribes for emergencies like this are handled by the messenger pigeons, the birds were set free that night to ensure that the gathering could be held in a month's time.

All in all, this situation we're in…it's likely to get a lot worse before it starts getting better.

With Hiccup missing, presumably dead, and the Berserker tribe declaring war by attacking the defenseless Peaceable tribe, the world is quickly falling into chaos. No one can deny that the Berserkers have one of the largest armadas in the archipelago. If they declared war under the leadership of Oswald the agreeable, then this would mean dragon-sized trouble for us. Oswald, we've known him to be more of an intellectual than a brute, but I have read in the scrolls that Oswald was a unparalleled commander of the Berserker army in his younger days. I read that he once send an entire Roman legion in retreat with their tails between their legs.

That shook me to my core.

The most bizarre thing that happened last night would be the fact that Gobber invited us to his hut tonight, and asked us to keep it a secret. It's a well-known-fact that he lives in the forge more than his house.

That definitely bugged me.

Speaking of which, today marks the 6 month anniversary of Astrid brutalizing Hiccup to near death. Only a handful of people like me, Gobber, and the chief see today as a day to mourn, because the events happened today 6 months led him on a dangerous path that ended the Dragon War, but got him killed in the process.

At least, that's what they believe.

Nonetheless, the village hasn't ever looked better, but at the same time, it hasn't ever been worse. The dragons were doomed to become history in the books of Berk as we had no more raids these days, but at what cost? We have no heir to the chiefdom and Stoick has to choose someone; he can't let it hang for debate. He'd probably end up choosing Snotlout.

I wonder if any tribes are welcoming of Hooligan deserters.

Maybe Gobber wanted to invite us to have a drink in memory of Hiccup; that may be it. After all, though others don't show it outright, Hiccup's death is celebrated more than the defeat of the dragons. The only reason that there is no official celebration for his death is because no one is bold enough to try what Mildew did. Especially considering how the chief reacted.

Therefore, we decided on having a private memorial for Hiccup.

There was a monument built in memory of Hiccup commissioned by Stoick. It's on a cliff top where there was a bolder that Stoick and Gobber say that Hiccup used to hang around. Gobber sometimes visits that place but Stoick is the one who visits there the most.

Surprisingly, Astrid visits that place often too. Statistically, she's gone there more than anyone else. I've seen her travel through this road to go to that place from time to time. The chief has banned her many times from visiting that place, but she always disregards him. She should consider it a mercy that she hasn't been banished yet. Maybe she regrets her actions. That's a possibility; after all, when we were kids, the two of them were best friends. Well, they were closer than friends, but not quite boyfriend and girlfriend.

Do I believe she regrets what she did, maybe I do.

Do I want to believe it, Helheim, no!

She did more damage to him than good and last thing I need is to feel sorry for her. Maybe if Hiccup was still here living today in the back room of the forge, I might have been able to forgive her, but I doubt that too.

At any rate, I shouldn't talk about the Hoffersons too much. Their reputation has fallen to the point where they're not worth the dirt on our boots.

After Gobber put the Hoffersons in their rightful place and Astrid's mother had to cut off her hair, her family honor was not the same. Though the villagers still feared and respected the Hoffersons, it would be next to impossible for Astrid to marry because her family's honor was stained. I bet even Spitelout won't allow Snotlout to marry her, him presumably being the heir and all.

I believed that Hiccup may have fled to the Bogs, but after hearing that Gobber had found out that he had died, that hope quietly died. I even mentioned that to Thuggory just as a point in our conversation.

Guess you really don't know what you have 'till it's gone.

* * *

 _Few hours later…_

*Knock…Knock…Knock…*

My father knocked on the door of Gobber's house. It seems that the old man had forgotten that he invited us to come to his house in the first place.

"There's a 78% chance that Gobber just forgot that he invited us to come." I told my parents.

"It looks like that." Mom told us.

We were just about to leave when we heard the sound of some approaching people, specifically the sound of Gobber's peg leg.

"AH! You're early! I just went to get this old bat." Gobber said enthusiastically, before he was followed by a loud _WHACK_ and a small exclamation of pain.

"Good to see you too, Gobber, we were just about to leave thinking that you forgot that you told us to come altogether." Dad responded.

Soon, we were seated in Gobber's home and waited for the smith to start.

* * *

 **Gobber POV**

I've planned for this moment for days with Gothi.

As Stoick's right-hook man, it pained me to do this behind his back. Still, some things just have to be done and this was one of those things. I waited until Stoick and the village were distracted enough to not notice us while we talked about Hiccup. The way the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death acted around Hiccup had changed the way I saw dragons forever. So, I told Gothi about the incident. She told me, well scribbled:

"He was never meant to be a Viking. He is too open-minded, just like his mother."

I didn't understand what she meant, which wasn't too surprising considering her scribbles are getting harder to decipher. After talking to her, she told-well, scribbled that I should gather the people who may accept the change without either of the parties being dead. That left Fishlegs and his family. I would have invited the Hoffersons because Wing is loyal and open-minded, but the same cannot be said about the ladies of the family.

Sorry Wing, but no.

Everyone was gathered in my house so I laid it out there for them.

"I've called you all here because I have something to share…Before I say it, though, I need yer words as Vikings that you will take this to yer graves."

"We promise to take this to our graves."

"Well, that was simpler than I thought…" Gobber said, slightly put off before he sighed and said…

"Aside from a missing leg, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III is alive and well."

I waited for a response. Fishlegs was the first to recover from the news and his level of excitement made me think that I should have sugar-coated it just a bit.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT ALL ALONG! HE'S ALIVE! I KNEW HE WAS TOO SMART TO DIE! OH-HO-HO-HO! THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING! HE'S PROBABLY AT THE BOG ISLANDS! THAT MEANS HE CAN COME-"

"Slow down, Fishlegs! You don't need the whole village to know he is alive, do ye?" I told him but he was too happy to rein himself in. I couldn't blame him, I was happier than a kid on Snoggletog when I found out that Hiccup was alive. I was just about to knock him out but Gothi beat me to it. She shrugged and smiled apologetically to the elder Ingermens.

"You guys fill him in slowly. Well, I called you to say that he is indeed alive and happy-happier than he ever was here." They nodded. "Now then, there's something else, but I'm warning you now, don't freak out or do anything rash. Ok?!" I asked them to be extra sure. They gave a quick nod.

"Not only does he claim that dragons are not evil, which I believe, but he also has a Night Fury." Once again, they were frozen in place and Bob was the one who got out of the shock first.

"Don't joke around, Gobber! I thought this was serious!" he told me.

"This is serious, Bob, and I'm not joking! While I was there, he even found a pet Changewing for Camicazi. I gotta see if they'll name one of their kids after me, but I digress. I know it sounds impossible but believe me, I wouldn't get within 3 miles of the beasts that left me with only two good limbs if he hadn't convinced me." That might have woken up the voice of reason in the Ingermens because the faces told me that they trusted my word.

"Then why on earth were they attacking us for generations? Where did he find a Night Fury in the first place? How in Helheim did he survive the freeze and reach Bog Island?" Ingrid started to ask and I knew more were following.

"He is now a Bog. He has written off his birthrights and severed his ties with Berk. If Stoick hears this, he will be crushed. Last time I asked, he had no intention of returning to Berk. I'll tell you the rest, but remember, as you are Vikings, you will take everything I say to yer graves."

They nodded resolutely.

"Well, here's everything I know. According to him, it all began when he shot down a Night Fury on the last full raid we had..."

* * *

 _Time skip…Few hours later…_

 **Gobber POV-cont'd**

"That is what happened to Hiccup until I left the Bog island." I told them. They were in shock for sure but Bob found his voice soon and the news he had to bring was not good.

"Now that you've told me his side of the story, some recent happenings make a lot of sense." He said while rubbing his chin.

"Like…?" I asked.

"Like why the Berserkers and Outcasts destroyed the Peaceables."

I hit myself in the head with my hook hand for my cluelessness.

"Of course it makes more sense now! I never thought it that way. They were searching for the Dragon Rider and they thought that he will be in the lands of the Peaceable tribe."

I got an approving nod form the older Ingerman. Our attention was drawn to the scribbling sound if elder Gothi. After studying them I was less happy than I have been, even though there was not much of a possibility.

"Dark clouds come to our tribe." I read out loud. "Well, you're ever the cryptic, Gothi."

"Understandable, seeing that they never found out that the Dragon Rider they encountered was actually our heir." It was Ingrid who spoke up after staying quiet for a long time.

"I think it's safe to assume that Berserkers and the Outcasts are working together. Good thing that the gathering was called." Bob said and I nodded.

"Now for some serious question, what are you going to do? Frankly, I have half a heart to leave this rock to rot but I know Stoick cares for Hiccup, though he has a crappy way of showing it." I told them.

"Frankly, I don't think I like staying here anymore now that I hear what is happening and the way our tribe treated one of our own" Ingrid said and I nodded to that.

"When the gathering is called, I think you should find a land to which you can move into, all the tribes are going to the gathering anyway." I told them.

"To think after everything, Hiccup was not only a hero, but a living legend…" Bob said. After that we just started to talk about light matters and some gossip flying around the village.

After all, what better way to let serious matters fade than gossip?

* * *

 _Next morning, near the edge of the forest at Bog Island…_

 **Heather POV**

I thought I already had a shitty life now.

I thought it couldn't get any worse.

I thought I had finally conquered my demons and could take my life back into my own hands.

I thought wrong. ABOUT EVERYTHING!

The letters that Hiccup and Cami had found were just the beginning of the mess. Let's just say my parents weren't actually my parents. My father was indeed a Roman general and my mother was indeed a gladiator, and they fell in love, and thus I was conceived after a night of passion.

So Chieftess Bertha was right.

My birth parents were the berserker chief and his late wife. The one who ruined my life, one who disemboweled my mother, tortured and killed my father, annihilated my entire tribe, tortured me and wanted nothing more than to defile me…he was my brother?!

MY OWN BLOOD?!

No…no, he wasn't. I don't care what anyone says, I don't care what some stupid letters have to say, that…that psychopath is not my brother. I could never acknowledge someone as depraved and deranged as that vicious bastard to be my kin!

Then again, how different from him am I? I will gladly do what he did to our family ten times over if I could!

I'd make him bleed, cry, and plead for his life, just as he and his berserker bastards did to my tribe. I'd cut off his arms so he couldn't hold a weapon, then his legs so he couldn't get away, then I'd gouge out his eyes so he couldn't see me coming at him, then slowly, oh so painstakingly slow, I'd take a heated Dagur and remove the one thing that makes him a man and let him bleed to death like the vermin he is!

Damn it, maybe Berserker blood does run through my veins. I won't acknowledge that animal as my kin, but I won't be naïve and say that we don't share blood. No…in fact, I think I might grow to be proud to share blood with that heathen. After all, it's the job of any member of the family to put the family on the right track to where they belong. Now I must train. Not only to avenge my family and tribe, but to make sure monsters like Dagur, Alvin, Savage and the rest of the Berserkers & Outcasts will never walk on this earth again.

I frankly feel bit saddened by the fact that I never get to see my real father or mother. Based on the letters, they were just like the parents I lost to my...BROTHER.

And let me tell you, my parents, the ones who raised me, they are definitely either dining in Valhalla, or at least living happily in Asgard.

Standing up and picking up the letters and the horn, I started walking towards the forge. While I walked, my mind started to wander to those letters that I read a few hours back.

 _**Flashback…A few hours earlier…**_

 _…Goodbye my friend, until we meet again, at Odin's table._

 _Your old friend,_

 _Oswald the agreeable of the Berserkers_

 _I just finish reading the first letter. It was a lot to take in to tell the least and without even thinking, I was tearing the seal of the second letter. It was from my father to me from what I gathered from the first letter. There were two letters inside the letter rather than one letter. Placing one beside me, I started to read the one I had in my hand._

 _Good day,_

 _I know this might be somewhat strange to you. I can't begin to think what you will be thinking of me right now. If it was me, I would have been a very angry person and shredded this letter even without opening this. But as you are reading this, I'm glad that you are at least willing to listen to what I have to say._

 _First of all, I'm overjoyed that you have finally reached an age that you can read and understand something like this. Though it pains me that I was not able to see you grow into the young woman you are now, as for me I just changed your soiled clothes before starting to write this. Even now, you are crying while your mother and brother try to calm you, right on the next room as I write this letter to you._

 _I don't know what name Meridius gave to you but to me you are my little Heather. Lil and I are very sorry for having to send you away. I know it will be a lot to take in and knowing my friend, by the time you have this, you might also have a family to call your own and maybe you have little ones running around the house as you read this. If so, you know how a parent feels when they have to leave their child just so she could have a life. It kills me knowing that the next few days will be the last I'll be seeing you and most probably my wife, your mother too. I don't know whether you can find it in your heart to forgive this old man, I'm not old but by the time you read this, I will almost certainly be dead._

 _Though I may never see you or hear the answers for this, here I go. How are you, child? Are you living fine? Have you found a boy you fancy about and should I sharpen my axe just to scare him? Are you going to invite me to your wedding? I know it would have been a simple one if you are like me, then again it will be a grand one if you are like your mother. I wouldn't complain either way. How many grandchildren are waiting to tackle their granddad?_

 _Well, I may never know. But hear me out young one, life is too short to worry about the things you should have done and that should have happened. The past is the past and no one can change it, no matter how hard they try. Make Meridius and Achilliea, your parents proud. I know if you make them proud, I would be too._

 _Well, I have many more things to say but your mother wants to write a letter to you too so I will end mine. Just maybe if you can find it in your heart come and visit us on the Berserker islands. I might not be chief, or alive, but your brother will be. Just say 'HI' to him. You know, you two bonded the moment he saw your face._

 _I wish for a happy, long and a healthy life for you with all my heart. Let nothing dissuade you from the fact that you're my precious baby girl, and I will always love you._

 _Your father,_

 _Oswald the agreeable of the Berserkers_

 _I was reading this for about the hundredth time when, suddenly, rain started to fall and without thinking twice, I put the letter away from the offending droplets of water. A moment later I realized that the rain that was staining the letter wasn't rain, but tears._

 _They were MY tears._

 _**End flashback**_

I wiped my eyes, knowing that they were wet, and seeing that I have reached my destination, I fixed my face the best I could and then entered the forge.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, inside the forge…_

 **Hiccup POV**

The morning was nice as always and here I am in the forge making saddles for the new Dragon Riders. Cami's saddle was done but I had a new idea for some armor that might make her "blend in" with that dragon of hers. The saddle was done now. I just have to stain it with the paint that I made with the Changewing egg shells, Changewing scales and saliva.

You see, the thing is whenever a Changewing sheds or a scale is touched by a Changewing, that scale takes the color of the Changewing skin. Normally those things are blood red, hence the invisible saddle.

Besides, it's not good for the dragon to have a saddle that gives away his location. They do have a life, you know.

The evenings are extremely tiresome as Cami keeps making the training harder and harder. Granted, it was just a few days, but still one day is harder than the next. Between training the riders, making saddles, teaching Sage how to make dragon saddles, and training, my plate is quite full these days.

But, I'm happier than I have ever been.

I was about to start my work on the next saddle when I heard my name being called. When I looked around, I saw Heather standing at the door of the forge.

Well, I didn't expect that for at least another 4 days.

"Good morning, Hiccup!"

"Heather! Good morning to you too! What brings you here?"

She looked like she was crying, and if she read the letters, I think that would explain it.

"Hiccup, I need a favor from you."

"Sure, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I need you to mend my mother's axe for me."

"Um, okay…may I ask why?"

"You just did."

"Cheeky, aren't we." I muttered, causing a small smile to appear on her face. "Okay, so why do you need it mended?"

"To train."

"I get that, but still, why? I mean, you literally left the healer's hut yesterday." I could tell from the look that she was giving me I might just have told the wrong thing.

"You're seriously asking me that? Cami was right; you're hopeless when it comes to girls."

I wish I had a pillow so I could stuff my face in it. That hurt.

"You don't need to be a genius to figure out that after what happened I might want some blood on my hand. No, I need his blood on my hands."

Yeesh…talk about direct, and the look she wasn't giving me wasn't friendly anymore, like at all. And 'his blood?'

"Urmm….. I don't know if it's my place or not but isn't that a bit…extreme?"

Frankly, when you think about it, we both want the same thing. The only reason I bear the training that Cami put me through is because I don't want to hide behind others to protect me. She had it worse than me so maybe her 'need' is greater than mine.

"I don't think that what I can do will ever come close to what he deserves."

'He?' Who the hell is 'he?' Man, that voice. Her voice could freeze a dragon's spirit. Maybe she was not the same person that Cami first knew. Then again, I wouldn't expect her to be.

"I can mend it, no problem. But Heather, you don't need to be that cold."

Something clicked in her eyes and then she was giving me a…sympathetic look? Suddenly, I remembered that I too have training.

"HEY! You can train with me and Val. Cami is training us and you should definitely join us. I'm sick of being beaten by a little girl!"

"So, you'd settle for being beaten by an older girl?" she asked amusedly. I can't help but notice no matter what her face says that there was a cold unfeeling edge on her eyes.

"Great! Here I was thinking that at least you might be lacking on the training department."

"I was joking, calm down. Besides, it's not like you're the person I want to kill the most. But enough about me, what're you working on?"

I started explaining my latest project to her.

* * *

 _Time skip…Two weeks later, on Dragon Island…_

 **Eret, son of Eret POV**

"This is it?" One of my men asked and I have to admit that it is a good question. What the hell happened to the nest?

"Well lads, let's not waste time. Hurry up and scout the island!" I ordered my men. Mal stayed behind and was with me. After a brief silently observing the area and waiting for the crew to walk out of the hearing range, Mal broke the silence.

"This was nothing but a waste of time."

I had to agree. There was no queen, and there were certainly no dragons.

"Is it possible that the old goat at the Outcast Island actually knew something?" Mal asked and I nodded. We need a plan and fast. If we don't supply the dragons to my boss, he will kill us and seeing that I have no way to supply what Ryker needed, at least I should find what kind it was.

"It seems so. Well for now, let's try to at least try to figure out what kind of dragon the queen of the nest was."

I hope the nest hadn't shifted; I really do, because if it has, then we're dead men walking. I never made a backup plan as I believed for sure that there was a nest at Helheim's gate for at least for the last three-four hundred years. But here I am, finally arriving here after some 'Genius' finally killed off the queen.

I will admit, killing the queen was no small feat.

After reaching the pile of bones, the dragon was not much hard to identify. Clearly the dragon's breath was ignited inside her, incinerating her from the inside out. I don't know who was brave enough to stare at a dragon's face when it was just about to burn him to ash. Then again, I have done that once that I had nothing else to do. Clearly this was a "Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus" or "Green death" for short, and a Titan-Wing to boot.

"Seems to me like a Titan-Wing Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus to me. What'd you think?" I asked Mal.

"That is not the problem. Who killed it is the problem." He told me while nodding to the first.

"That is a matter for another time, but I don't think that the one who did it walked away." I told him and he nodded.

"The matter at hand is-"

I was cut off before I could finish what I was telling. Few of my men were returning from the exploration and seems like they have good news.

"Cap, the nest hasn't shifted yet. The dragons are still here and you are going to like what the cave is made of!" Robert told me.

"And the island is claimed by a tribe called 'Bog-Burglars'. There's a claim stone near the tunnel entrance." The quartermaster told me.

"WHAT! Why on earth would the Bog-burglars claim an island full of dragons? This makes no sense!" I yelled at the men. I've heard of the tribe and they only went after shiny things. From what I've heard, they prefer pillaging valuable goods rather than living off the glory of killing dragons.

"It's not that surprising. The entrance tunnel looks like it's a diamond mine and by the looks of things, it surely is a big one." Well, in that case, claiming this island is totally normal. If that was the case then this island not having a mining outpost is much more bizarre than the claim stone.

"Well, what are ya waiting for? Lead the way!"

Soon I was standing next to a large cave opening, which looked like the cliff wall was blown to pieces to make the hole.

"Soil my birches! This is a fortune! What are ya waiting for lads, start gathering!" With a blink of an eye, they were gathering the gems into the sacs we usually carry on our hip pouches.

"Keep in mind, lads, we do need to capture some dragons too."

If Odin himself thinks I should have some wealth, who am I to refuse? Besides, if life's taught me anything, it's that every man…is indeed for himself.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, in Alvin's chambers on Outcast Island…_

 **Alvin POV**

We arrived home to Outcast Island yesterday. While I was at the sea, I was using my rather good brain, if I call it so myself to make a good plan to attack the tribes and make sure that I will have that Night Fury and Stoick's runt in my pocket

As far as I'm concerned, the plan is simple. If I remember correctly, Berk is fully prepared for a full-frontal attack. What they are not prepared is an attack from the range of a Berserker siege ship. They'll lay siege on the island while my fleet creeps onto the island through Thor's beach on the far side of the island.

The trouble is making that lunatic agree to 'lend' me some of his siege ships. After that less than enthusiastic attack and annihilation of the Peaceable, Dagur proved to have earned his title of 'Deranged' and was currently not in a favourable mood. Hence, there will be a grand feast tonight to celebrate our victory or to be precise, butter Dagur up.

It is best only after his belly is full and had some fine ale and mead in his blood to bring in the matters of importance to the discussion. That boy is just a puppet, whatever he thinks of himself. A knock on the door got my attention and I would have been irritated and possibly mad at that if I wasn't feeling this good with my plan.

"Come in."

Soon Savage came into the room with…Mildew? What on earth is that old goat doing here? The only upside of being banished from Berk was not having to see or hear from that old sheep. Why on earth is he here?

"You want to tell me the meaning of this before I kill you for wasting my time?"

Under pressure from being put on the spot, and the memory of my tool being inside of him fresh in his head, Savage quickly produced a pouch from his vest and threw it to me, which I caught easily.

"He says he needs an audience with you, sir."

I opened the pouch while he was talking. It was filled with what seemed like to be some hefty amount of diamonds. Well…well…well…last I remember, he was living on that almost falling apart hut on the far side of the island. I turned to Savage.

"Leave us."

He nodded and I turned back to Mildew, who seemed to have an accomplished look on his face. Soon, I heard the sound of the door opening and closing.

"What do you want, old man?" I asked.

"Come on, lad! You remember yer good ol' uncle Mildew!"

Great, this idiot is here for old times' sake, which is clearly not something I look forward to. I might as well run him through with my sword and end his miserable life.

"Let me rephrase the question, 'uncle'. Why should I not run you through with my sword right now?" I asked while standing up and unsheathing the sword.

"I have news. I know how to get to Dragon Island, and…I know where plenty more of that comes from." He said, pointing his staff at the bag of diamonds.

Time skip…

"Let me get this straight…you know how to get to Dragon Island?" I asked.

"Stoick does. He's even got a map!"

"There are diamonds on that island?" I asked.

"Stoick said so himself."

"And there are no dragons on that island?" I asked.

"None that the search party could find and they all came back with no missing limbs."

Strangely enough, he actually had some valuable information. Now Hiccup being the dragon Conqueror makes much more sense. Stoick's too smart to share this, but Mildew? He'll boast about this to everyone once he had a tankard of mead or felt grumpy. That's not a chance I'm willing to take.

In one single motion, I turned around while unsheathing the sword and plunged it, hilt deep, into his gut.

"Well then, Mildew, I appreciate the help."

"Wai…Wha…Why...?" He rasped out as the light began to fade from his eyes.

"The news was good and all, but I hate traitors and I hate you. You're much better off dead than alive."

I twisted the sword in his gut so that he screamed in pain and, rather unfortunately for me, released his bowels. I removed the sword from his gut. He died before he hit the ground and I wiped my sword on his clothes.

"SAVAGE!"

"Yes sir! Should I call the maids to come and clean the floor?"

"Yes, but first dispose of this smelly old goat."

Though he was an idiot, he does learn after a while. Then again, don't they all? He promptly yelled back at the guards of the door to drag the body out and as he was leaving, Fungus, the coot's pet sheep, bleated.

"Savage, on second thought, it seems there will be mutton tonight at this feast."

"I'll let the cooks know."

With that, he tucked the sheep under his arm and left my quarters.

Don't you just love watching a magnificent plan unfold?

* * *

 **A.N.**

 **well, here you go another chapter for you guys. any way i know that by now you may have realized that because of the workload of this bloody course that i do my updates will be random. Any way i managed to get another chapter in for you guys and frankly if i have any old readers left because of my crappy update schedule i will be suprised** **. on the bright news i got almost 100 favs(Actually 99). you guys are awesome and i cant thank you guys more for that. I like to shout out for my friend MODdenial for beta reading this and making this an understandable one for all of you.**

 **about the chapter the shit is starting to move towards the fan. this is going to lead to the "First big war". And the eagle eyed readers may have guessed what the war 2 and 3 would be. These chapters might be boring but bear with me because actually these chapters are the foundation for the war.**

 **Like always feel free to leave a review if you have something in mind to say and help me improve the story further more.**


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